Rising food prices are pushing millions of people towards severe hunger and destitution across East Africa, prompting Oxfam to launch a new appeal to bolster its aid work in the region.

An Ethiopian villager suffers from life-threatening hunger

The charity warns that food prices are compounding a situation made chronic by successive droughts, violent conflict and poverty.

It says 13 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Oxfam's Rob McNeil, who has just returned from the Somali and Afar regions of Ethiopia said: "This is a catastrophe in the making, we have time to act to before it becomes a reality.

"The cost of food has escalated by up to 500% in some places, leaving people who have suffered drought after drought in utter destitution.

"Some of the roads we travelled on were littered with dead livestock. There is little or no pasture or water for the animals that people rely upon. People are increasingly becoming desperate.

"We fear that the worst could be yet to come as the crisis deteriorates across East Africa."

Oxfam says that in Somalia, the cost of imported rice rose by up to 350% between the beginning of 2007 and May 2008.

In areas of Ethiopia, the price of wheat has more than doubled over a six-month period and food prices are expected to remain prohibitively high for many until the next harvest in October.

The region has also been hit by pests and disease.

Oxfam chief executive Barbara Stocking said: "The British public always responds generously to emergency appeals but the public must be asking why does this happen year after year?

"Both governments in the rich and poor world need to invest in a concerted action to tackle the underlying causes.

"We need to act to save lives in the short term but without investment in the long term as well then scenes of destitution will continue to haunt our shared conscience."

:: People can donate to Oxfam by going to www.oxfam.org.uk or calling 0300 200 1999.