Eritreans ‘need food aid’

Two-thirds of the population in Eritrea will require food assistance this year, say UN food agencies.

The World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation say that 2.3m people need help, with some facing severe food shortages.

They say there is a shortfall of some 180,000 tonnes of food.

The shortages are the result of the 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia followed by successive droughts.