Thousands die in Somali crisis

NAIROBI (Reuter) - Tribal war and drought are killing thousands of Somalis in a catastrophe largely ignored by the world, the British Red Cross chief said yesterday.

'This part of the world has been forgotten and we need to do something about it now,' said Michael Whitlam, the director-general of the British Red Cross, after visiting Mogadishu, the Somali capital.

'The needs are enormous. We're talking millions of pounds,' he said, adding that he would be asking the British Overseas Development Minister, Baroness Chalker, and the European Community for help next week.