ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The humanitarian situation in southeast Ethiopia continues to deteriorate, with increasing livestock deaths, serious shortage of water and high levels of malnutrition, a UN aid agency said on Monday.

    The situation becomes even worse in the dry season from January to March, said a statement from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

    While several projects are addressing the drought situation, more interventions are needed especially in the non-food sector, it said.

    Meanwhile, Ethiopia's Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency (DPPA), the country's humanitarian aid and emergency relief operator, said it continued the daily dispatches of food for some 1.5 million people in Somali region, and some 155,000 in Borena zone of Oromiya region.

    The transport capacity for deliveries of relief food has been limited, DPPA said.

    In order to increase the dispatch rate, DPPA has engaged their emergency transport fleet and the country's Road Transport Authority is coordinating the commercial transport fleet for priority loads to the drought-affected areas.

    Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest and most indebted countries, which makes it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as drought.

    Because of frequent periods of drought, Ethiopia is chronically unable to feed its population and has to rely on massive foreign aid. Enditem