Korea will send $1.5 million in drought relief to four countries in the Sahel region of Africa, the foreign ministry said Friday.

The aid comes as international relief agencies have warned of a growing risk of famine in the area south of the Sahara desert.

Niger, Chad and Mali will each receive $400,000 in humanitarian aid, while Guinea Bissau will receive $300,000, the ministry said in a statement.

The aid comes at the request of the United Nations and will be delivered through the World Food Program and the United Nations Children's Fund, which are actively engaged in relief efforts in the area, the ministry added.

International charity Oxfam recently said 13 million people were at risk in the region, which also includes Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal. The U.N. has appealed for $720 million from the international community. (Yonhap)