BEIJING - The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday that the two batches of foodstuff donated by China for drought-hit northeastern African nations will mostly arrive before the end of September.

The country's food aid to the regions increased significantly in the past month as the drought continued and spread, said Yu Yingfu, an official with the MOC Department of Aid to Foreign Countries.

Starting from last year, the Horn of Africa, which refers to the region consisting of the countries of Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia, has been devastated by a severe drought.

The Chinese government has pledged more than 400 million yuan ($62.47 million) worth of foodstuff for these nations, Yu said.

China will continue to monitor and study the situation to come up with new aid plans, Yu said.