Govt gives $19m in aid for African crises

Australia will give $19 million in aid to address two worsening humanitarian emergencies in Africa.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday announced the federal government would give $10 million to the World Food Programme and other UN partners to prevent a looming food shortage across the Sahel region which stretches across the continent.

Mr Rudd said millions of people were in need of food following drought, poor harvests and an influx of refugees from conflict-affected countries like Libya.

The Australian contribution will focus on the worst-hit countries of Niger and Chad.

"This builds on Australia's existing work, through the CSIRO, to improve the long-term food security and resilience of West African countries," Mr Rudd said in a statement.

Australia will also give $9 million to the UN Common Humanitarian Fund, the Red Cross and others to help deal with the ongoing conflict on the border area of Sudan and South Sudan.

"More than two million people across Sudan and South Sudan, particularly women and children, rely on humanitarian assistance due to ongoing conflict," Mr Rudd said.

"This has been compounded by bad weather affecting crop plantings, and has led to a warning by the UN of an impending food crisis."