Jeddah, Jumada II 09, 1438, March 08, 2017, SPA -- The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is following with deep concern the famine whose consequences have started to appear in Somalia and the Horn of Africa region in general due to serious drought resulting from shortage of rainfall. This threatens the lives of more than 17 million people in the states of the Horn of Africa with drought affecting Djibouti, Eretria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. Somalia is on the brink of imminent famine as about 6 million people, almost half the population of Somalia, require urgent humanitarian aid. In a development reflecting the depth of the crisis, more than 110 persons have died in Somalia in the last two days from cholera and famine caused by continuous drought, as announced by Prime Minister Hassan Ali in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on 4 March 2017. The cautionary indicators of this famine has become very clear as the OIC Office for Coordination of Humanitarian and Development Action in Somalia estimated the number of displaced persons last February to be about 50,000 from Somali villages to the capital Mogadishu and cities such as Afgooye, Baidoa, Kismayo, Dolow, Luk, Beledweyne, Adado, Abudwak, Jaril and Dhuusamareeb. --More 13:19 LOCAL TIME 10:19 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w348532