An aid worker is urging people to continue supporting the relief effort in east Africa, where hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of starving to death.

Ben Webster, who lives with his wife in Valley Road, Streatham, is working with Somali refugees in north eastern Kenya for the Christian charity Tearfund.

About 12 million people are now facing severe food and water shortages following droughts in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

The al-Shabaab, a rebel militia group, have been blocking aid distribution in parts of Somalia, leaving aid workers struggling to access some of the most vulnerable people.

Experts have said parts of east Africa are experiencing the worst drought for 60 years, with tens of thousands of people already dead.

Mr Webster, who is assessing where aid is most needed, said the response from Western countries had so far been “very positive” but said more money was needed to control the effects of the disaster.

He said families were trekking for up to a month to get food and clean water at refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya.

He said: “It is a frightening situation. It is depressing talking to farmers who are watching their animals die.

“We have had a very positive response from the public but there is still a long road ahead. We definitely need to continue supporting these communities in the long term.”

But he said communities needed the means to rebuild what they had lost, rather than constant economic support.

“We do not want people to be dependent on aid. We want them to be able to restore their livelihoods,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Tearfund said the food crisis was caused by a combination of rising fuel and food prices, as well as climate change.

She said: “Unless rapid action is taken to curb climate change, we need to expect and plan for more weather related crises like this one.”

To donate to Tearfund's East Africa appeal visit www.tearfund.org/eastafrica or call 0845 355 8355.