British, UN leaders to address Somalia humanitarian crisis

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May, center, meets with Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome, right, and Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Boris Johnson, left, ahead of the Somalia Conference at No 10 Downing Street in London, Thursday, May 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

LONDON (AP) — Britain is hosting a high-level conference to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and security situation in Somalia.

Prime Minster Theresa May and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are expected to speak Thursday along with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

Charities working to stave off famine in Somalia are urging that the African country’s debts be cancelled.

Save the Children chief Keven Watkins said the African country “continues to drift toward an avoidable famine.” He called for “decisive action” including increased help from the World Bank.

Guterres said in a statement that a famine has thus far been averted but the threat is deepening.

He said that “we fear the worst.”

Hundreds of thousands of Somalis, the vast majority women and children, have been displaced by a drought since November.