SIR Bob Geldof, who has a home at Faversham, has returned to drought-ravaged Ethiopia with the charity Unicef, almost 20 years after his Band Aid project raised £40m for the stricken nation.

Sir Bob will attempt to highlight the country's current plight ahead of the G8 summit of the main industrialised nations in France on Sunday.

Ethiopia is in the midst of a severe humanitarian emergency that is threatening some 14 million people, most of them children.

It is suffering from drought, flood, malnutrition, disease and HIV/Aids and is one of the five poorest countries in the world, with an estimated gross national income of just £61 a year per person.

Sir Bob wants western governments to come up with a "Marshall Plan for Africa" - a reference to the American relief plan for Europe after the Second World War. He has been critical of EU efforts.

Unicef Ethiopia head Bjorn Ljungqvuist said: "Unicef is grateful for Bob Geldof's visit right now because it will help draw global attention to the new mix of challenges we must overcome to build a more peaceful, stable world - a world that is truly fit for children."

During his five-day visit Sir Bob will see at first hand the effects of the crisis, explore the longer-term development challenges, visit Unicef relief projects for children, speak with government officials and members of the diplomatic community and meet with other humanitarian players.