Addis Ababa — The United Nations said on Friday it was alarmed by a prolonged drought that has worsened food and water availability in Ethiopia's southern Borena region.

It said assessment teams have been sent to the area where insufficient October and December rainfall has spurred a surge in disease outbreaks and livestock death.

"Death and poor health conditions of livestock, dwindling water supplies and ongoing human disease outbreaks are having a negative impact upon health, nutrition and wellbeing in the region," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in statement.

Around 4,660 livestock have died since mid-February, the UN agency added.

Citing woreda (zonal) officials in Arero, the UN agency said limited availability of water for animal consumption was contributing to poor health of livestock and reported cases of diseases including: Anthrax, black leg, bloody diarrhea and foot and mouth disease.

"Despite not reaching full drought proportions, poor rainfall in an upcoming season would have serious impacts on health and livelihoods in the entire region," OCHA-Ethiopia said in the statement, calling for intervention from government and aid groups.