ROME -- Seventeen African countries face "exceptional food emergencies" because of drought, conflict, or both, the UN World Food Organization (FAO) said Wednesday. Several countries in the Horn of Africa, already hit by a succession of droughts, face a new dry period, the FAO said in a report.

In southern Sudan, an upsurge of fighting has aggravated food shortages amid an ongoing drought, while in Somalia, embroiled in factional fighting, severe food shortages are expected because of drought, the UN agency said.

In Southern Africa, the combined effects of prolonged drought, serious flooding and the interruption of farming activities in some areas have caused steep drops in production, notably in Zimbabwe, where "the food supply situation is tight for large sections of the population," the report stated.

Food production in Southern Africa has plunged in several countries as a result of reduced planting and adverse weather. Maize output, which accounts for over 90 percent of the regions's total grain production, is down 26 percent from last year, the FAO report said. .