Xan Rice Nairobi: Ethiopia has appealed for $325 million in aid after drought and crop failure more than doubled the number of people needing emergency assistance to 4.6 million. Poor rains have affected much of southern and south-eastern Ethiopia since last year, significantly cutting harvests. The shortage of local cereals has sent prices soaring, while the cost of imported food has also risen sharply because of the global food crisis and increased fuel prices. Aid agencies say hundreds of thousands of the poorest families can no longer afford to buy enough food to sustain themselves. According to the U.N., which issued the appeal to donors on Saturday together with Ethiopia's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency, 75,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition and illness. The food insecurity is the worst since 2003, when 13.2 million people required emergency assistance.