By Hussein Ali Noor

HARGEISA, Somalia, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Eastern Somaliland is ravaged by drought and acute water shortages, the vice president of the breakaway Somali republic said on Tuesday.

Ahmed Yusuf Yasin urged rich nations to send relief to avert "a calamity" and he called on his countrymen to pray.

"I call on the people to pray individually and in mosques for the next eight days," he told a news conference.

"I also recommend they gather in public, if it doesn't rain, with all schools closed and work stopped for general prayer on the ninth day."

Yasin also ordered all relevant government departments to report on the full extent of the crisis before Friday.

Somaliland broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991 when warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, plunging the Horn of Africa country into anarchy. (Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)

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