SCOTLAND'S response to last year's drought in east Africa raised £1.2 million and saved thousands of lives, the charity behind the emergency appeal said.

More than 183,000 people in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea received help from the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) after the worst drought to hit the Horn and East Africa region in 60 years.

More than 10 million people were affected after rains failed, leaving crops decimated and water sources dry.

Within six weeks of the appeal, £641,000 had been distributed, with a total of £1,001,000 spent to date. SCIAF said the remaining money will be dedicated to helping families recover and become more resilient in the future.

Emergency aid included food and water rations, together with cash for the most vulnerable.

Cash and food for work'schemes in Ethiopia and Kenya allowed some of those affected to access food and cash for items such as medicine.

The work included clearing grassland to provide additional grazing land and rehabilitating ponds so they could hold more water and help safeguard against future droughts.

Other aid included digging new wells, the construction of sand dams, providing water filters and distributing fertilisers and drought-resistant seeds.

Lorraine Currie, SCIAF's head of international programmes, said: "This money and the emergency support it provided saved the lives of thousands.

"SCIAF is continuing to work with its partners and local communities to increase their resilience against future droughts by distributing drought resistant seeds and re- habilitating community resources such as ponds and wells."