Addis Ababa — Many parts of eastern and southern Ethiopia are experiencing severe drought after the rains failed last year.

One of the worst hit regions is Borana, some 650 kilometres south of Addis Ababa in Oromia state, which neighbours Kenya.

"Six people have died in Dire and Moyale districts. We are now struggling to deliver food and medical supplies," the Borana region's administrator, Abdulkadir Abdi, told journalists visiting the area.

And three children and two adults have died in Liben and Guji districts in the region's east and north respectively.

Hospital sources confirmed that the deaths were related to hunger and lack of clean water.

Mr Chala Wordofa, the head of Oromia's Disaster Prevention and Control office, acknowledged that parts of the region have had a long dry season, but added that the authorities are monitoring the situation carefully.

Immediate threat

However, speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minster Meles Zenawi downplayed the situation in Borana, saying it was simply due to "failure of the mid-year meher rains and will not affect our speedy economic growth".

Mr Meles dismissed the reported human and livestock deaths during his briefing to parliament on national economic issues, but opposition MPs said the situation was critical and called for urgent government action.