( CNN ) -- Somalia is facing life-threatening food and water shortages leaving millions at risk for starvation , the International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday . A growing percentage of Somalia 's population has become dependent on humanitarian aid . `` The Somali people are going through unbearable hardship , '' said Pascal Hundt , head of the ICRC 's delegation for Somalia , in a written statement . `` We are witnessing the worst tragedy of the past decade in Somalia . '' Somalia 's last severe famine , from 1991 to 1993 , devastated crops , killed between 240,000 and 280,000 people and displaced up to 2 million , according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees . Humanitarian workers view Somalia 's food crisis as one of the worst in the world . With winds ripping though the country , hundreds of thousands of Somalis are finding their crops as dry as the surrounding landscape , preventing harvests , killing livestock and leading to a mass risk of starvation . The continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have aggravated the situation , hindering people from accessing shelter and medical attention . A growing percentage of the population has become dependent on humanitarian aid . The ICRC , World Food Program and CARE plan to deliver four months worth of food to 435,000 Somalis within the next few weeks . International donors are being asked by the ICRC to provide some of the emergency money . Aid includes giving blankets , kitchen sets and other shelter supplies to 150,000 people . The WFP will be increasing the amount it spends in Somalia to $ 163 million in food assistance , the group said at a U.N. conference in Rome Wednesday . In addition to drought and armed conflict , high inflation on food and fuel have also exacerbated the situation . Similar factors have affected other developing nations in Africa and other parts of the world . Ethiopia 's food crisis has affected 4.5 million people , said the United Nations Children 's Fund . As a result of widespread food shortages and little rainfall , an estimated 126,000 children are in need of medical assistance to combat severe malnutrition , while the WFP projects $ 193 million will be needed for urgent food distributions .
ICRC : Somalia faces life - threatening food , fuel shortages leaving farmers at risk . Winds are leaving crops as dry as the landscape , preventing harvests . Continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have aggravated the situation . High inflation on food and fuel have also affected the situation .