Hunger, desperation, fatigue and frustration have engulfed Somalia. Millions are left scrambling for food and water under the scorching sun in this inhospitable dust bowl. East Africa is crippled by the worst drought in 60 years. Experts say the international community was warned of this disaster time and time again.

Dermot Carty, deputy director of Emergency Programs, said: "There are some that will believe that any famine is avoidable, but it requires a basic democracy and rule of law, and a secure environment in order for it to grow and thrive and for people to become better educated, have the knowledge on how to cope with the systems, to grow economically etc, and Somalia is a situation where they haven't been able to enjoy these things for the last 20 years at least."

These aren't just fugitives from famine. These are people exhausted by 20 years of civil war… Bullet holes and bombs still a part of their lives. Their skin stretched tight over their bones, they walked miles and miles to reach this camp … The survivors called them the roads of death, roads along which the weakest were buried and many others were left fighting for their last breath.

Across the Horn of Africa, millions of people are living on a prayer. Children doomed to die in their mother's arms. Today, the world is watching an unthinkable horror unfold. Yet the response has been slow… the aid is not enough.

Dermot said: "Think about your own children, think about your own life, think about the opportunities you have that you take for granted. Do you want your children to suffer like the children of Somalia or the children of Kenya? So I would say, think about it yourself. Internalize it. We all know that we don't want to be losing family members especially children."

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