The UN's emergency relief coordinator on Saturday called for long-term solutions to curb the effects of a severe drought in Ethiopia. "We need to plan for the long term to help people rebuild their communities when the situation improves," Valerie Amos told reporters in Addis Ababa. She cited better access to water, health care and education as key after spending the day in Ethiopia's Somali region, one of the worst-affected areas of the country. The UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator emphasized the need for improved security in drought-affected regions so relief agencies can reach vulnerable populations. She met with Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to draw up a plan to ensure access to the country's most volatile areas. In June, two World Food Program workers were detained for over a month in Somali region, also known as Ogden.

The UN emergency relief agency reports 3.2 million people in Ethiopia depend on food assistance. The Horn of Africa is currently facing the most severe drought in 60 years, according to the UN, affecting more than 10 million people. The relief agency will also attempt to provide emergency aid in Somalia after Shebab Islamists announced they would allow access to humanitarian agencies. "(That) is something we have to test to see whether we will be able to deliver that urgently needed aid into Somalia itself," Amos said.