Britain has pledged 50 million dollars for drought-hit Ethiopia, where some 9.6 million people are in need of emergency food aid, its embassy here said on Wednesday.

The money will finance food distribution, medical support, nutrition and water supply.

"We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia. That's why DFID (Department for International Development) is making this additional funding available with immediate effect," said Howard Taylor, DFID's representative in Ethiopia.

In June, London pledged some 10 million pounds (19 million dollars, 13 million euros) for Ethiopia.

The World Food Programme on Monday launched an appeal for 460 million dollars to the millions of Ethiopians affected by drought and rising food prices.

Aid organisations say Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country, is on the brink of famine akin to those of the 1980s, when millions of people died.