ANITA POWELL

Ethiopia's hunger crisisis affecting a growing number of adults and older children, health workers say.

Traditionally less vulnerable groups have been stricken by severe hunger because of poor rains and crop failures.

Usheto Beriso, 55, weighs half what he should. He is always cold and his limbs are stick-thin.

"To see adults in this condition, it's a very serious situation," said nurse Mieke Steenssens, a volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, as she registered the weight of 5ft4in Usheto at just 73lb.

Aid groups say older victims suggest an escalation in the crisis in Ethiopia, which drew international attention in 1984 when famine killed about one million people.

This year's crisis, brought on by drought and rocketing food prices, is far less severe. However, at least four aid groups noticed an increase.

"We're overwhelmed," said Margaret Aguirre, of the International Medical Corps. "There's not enough food and everyone's starving and that's all there is to it."

She added: "What's particularly concerning is that the moderately malnourished are soaring. It's increasing so much that it means those children are going to slide into severe malnutrition."

The worldwide food crisis is threatening to push up to one billion people into hunger. Last week, a UN summit pledged to boost agricultural production.

But in Ethiopia, food production is also hampered by drought, all the more disastrous because more than 80% of people live off the land.

Aid agencies are issuing desperate appeals for donor funding. The country of 78 million is again facing hunger on a mass scale, said John Holmes, the top UN humanitarian official.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander yesterday announced an extra £10m to Ethiopia for humanitarian relief and said a team of UK officials will arrive today to assess the situation in the drought-hit country.