Kate Middleton and Prince William have undergone their first humanitarian mission at an emergency supply centre in Copenhagen.

The royal duo visited Unicef headquarters in the Danish city to see vital provisions being distributed to East Africa, where hundreds of thousands of children are suffering due to the effects of famine.

Prince William tried out a high-protein peanut paste and the couple later stacked medical supplies and watched an aid flight depart from the centre.

"Hopefully we can do as much as we can really," Kate later said. "We really hope to put the spotlight back on this terrible crisis and we need to try and raise the awareness.

"I was shocked by some of the statistics and I think other people would be if they'd lost track of the story."

"It's been going on for, as Catherine was saying, at least 100 days now and it's not getting any better," Prince William added, of the food shortage in the region.

"The rains have come now and as hopefully you've all heard from the Unicef brief that doesn't necessarily mean things are going to get better at all, in fact disease becomes a huge issue."

Famine was declared around three months ago in East Africa, following the worst drought in 60 years. The situation is affecting around 13 million people, with thousands of Somalis fleeing drought in their country especially at risk, according to the United Nations.

Prince William is particularly drawn to Africa and proposed to Kate there during a holiday to Kenya in 2010.

Kate Middleton in famine plea