Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud said today, Saturday, in a recorded video, that his country is officially going through a famine, calling for a rapid local and international response, and announced deaths related to hunger in the country.

According to global reports, more than 7 million Somalis are facing severe food shortages with nearly half a million on the brink of famine, noting that the Somali president's acknowledgment confirms the devastating impact of drought on Somalis, according to (Russia Today) website.

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, stated that the state of Somalia is approaching a real famine due to low and scant rainfall, which could put millions at risk.

Aboul Gheit pointed out that if Somalis do not find their sustenance due to this famine, individuals from the people and tribes will turn to "unacceptable actions, which could affect the Red Sea, East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Yemen as a result of the migration of millions of people searching for food."

He explained that the Somali issue was discussed in the consultative meeting of Arab foreign ministers, saying that this matter was discussed and we have some basic ideas on how to start assisting the Somali people.