GENEVA,(insidesomalia.org)- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is significantly stepping up its humanitarian relief work in Somalia to respond to the deepening crisis there, the humanitarian agency said on Wednesday.

Hundreds of thousands of Somalis face life-threatening food and water shortages due to the escalating armed conflict and the effects of the recent severe drought in central Somalia, according to the Geneva-based agency.

High inflation and the worldwide rise in commodity prices, especially for key imports such as food and fuel, are aggravating the situation.

"We are witnessing the worst tragedy of the past decade in Somalia," Pascal Hundt, head of the ICRC's delegation for Somalia, said in a statement released in Geneva.

"The living conditions for many families are extremely difficult. People are completely exhausted from the non-stop struggle to survive," he said.

"Amidst the ongoing armed conflict and other violence, finding water and food for the family is a daily challenge. Shelter and medical attention are also increasingly difficult to obtain," he added.

In response, the ICRC has adapted its operations to focus almost exclusively on large-scale relief for displaced families and their host communities.

In the coming weeks, the organization is planning to distribute four months worth of dry-food rations to 435,000 people in close coordination with the World Food Program.

Some 150,000 people will receive essential household items such as blankets, shelter materials and kitchen sets.