“If we don’t take the necessary measures, famine will be the scandal of this century,” Le Maire said.
He also berated the international community for having “failed” to ensure food security in a world affected by climate change.
Le Maire said the issue would be discussed at “the donor conference in Nairobi in two days’ time.”
UN officials say the drought has killed tens of thousands of people in recent months, forcing hundreds of thousands of desperate survivors from the worst-affected areas of Somalia to walk for weeks in search of food and water.
The key challenge for aid groups has been reaching parts of southern Somalia held by the al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militia group Shebab, which has banned the WFP and other international humanitarian agencies from operating in its territory.
Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ibrahim called for “humanitarian corridors” to reach the affected areas.
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