Millions of East Africans are at risk of starvation due to rocketing food prices, Oxfam has warned.

Spiralling costs combined with successive droughts, violent conflict and endemic poverty have left up to 13 million in the region in urgent need of aid.

Oxfam has called for immediate action and increased donor support to avert the coming crisis, noting that a UN appeal for emergency assistance for Somalia has received only 37 per cent of funding needed.

Food costs have soared in recent months, with the cost of imported rice in Somalia rising by 350 per cent since the beginning of last year.

Areas of Ethiopia have seen the price of wheat more than double over a six-month period.

It is estimated that in those two east African nations alone there are an estimated 7.2 million people in need of emergency assistance.

In Turkana, northern Kenya, an Oxfam survey suggests that a quarter of children are suffering from acute malnutrition.

Oxfam's Rob McNeil, who has just returned from the region, said: "This is a catastrophe in the making. We have time to act before it becomes a reality.

"The cost of food has escalated by up to 500 per cent in some places, leaving people who have suffered drought after drought in utter destitution.

"Some of the roads we travelled on were littered with dead livestock.

"People are increasingly becoming desperate. I saw people in one village reduced to pounding the food pellets intended for their animals into porridge to feed their families."

A spokesman for the Department for International Development said: "Too many people around the world are going hungry tonight because of increases in food prices and that is why this Government has already committed over £800 million to help avert this crisis.

"Much of this is going on immediate action to supply food in East Africa where people are most in need but also on longer term measures to improve countries' ability to cope with increases in food prices and droughts in the future.

"We know there is more to do and so we will continue to work with other countries to provide support to Africa during this difficult time."