The United States on Tuesday urged Eritrea to reveal how severely it has been hit by the Horn of Africa's drought, warning that people may be at risk inside the authoritarian country.

Johnnie Carson, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said the United States presumed that Eritrea has been affected by the same drought that has led to hunger in nearby countries including Somalia.

"Eritrea is a closed and an increasingly reclusive country and its government has not been particularly helpful in sharing data and information about the severity of the food shortages or the drought," Carson told reporters.

Carson said that the free flow of information "allows people to make early choices that can help avert catastrophe."

"We urge the government of Eritrea to cooperate with the UN agencies and other international organizations to address the issue of hunger and food shortage in that country," he said.

The United Nations has warned more than 10 million people need food aid in the region -- particularly Somalia, which has lacked an effective central government for two decades.

The United States has tense relations with Eritrea, believing that it has armed the Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab movement that controls much of southern Somalia.

Rights groups say that detentions, torture and prolonged military conscription have been rife in Eritrea since a crackdown in 2001.

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