Ohio students raise money for East African famine victims

COLUMBUS (AP) — A group of Ohio college students from Somalia has raised more than $17,000 from door-to-door donations to help Somali victims of the East African famine.

The students planned to present $17,460 to three charity groups tonight after breaking the Ramadan fast in Columbus.

Ohio State student Rowda Olad says students felt they had to do something as they saw how many children are dying.

Olad says the students, from Ohio State and Columbus State Community College, plan to continue fundraising.

Money for famine victims also has been raised in other parts of the country, including Minnesota, with the largest population of Somalis in the U.S.

Across the Horn of Africa, more than 12 million people need food aid, including residents of Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti.