Aid call for Sri Lanka drought

The International Federation of the Red Cross has said it urgently needs $700,000 to fight a drought affecting thousands of people in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka.

The Red Cross says there has been no rain for nearly two years in Hambantota - its worst drought for 50 years.

Aid workers say the tropical landscape has turned grey and dry, making it difficult to feed livestock.

Wells and reservoirs in four villages have completely dried up.

The Red Cross says doctors have begun to report cases of malnutrition among children in Hambantota, which is one of the poorest regions in Sri Lanka.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service