In Somalia's war-ravaged capital, Mogadishu, the BBC's Mohamed Mwalimu says more than 4,000 people are crammed into one camp, called Safety. Meanwhile, News of the World owner News International said it had authorised law firm Harbottle & Lewis to answer any questions from Scotland Yard and the Commons home affairs committee about its work for…

Those conditions include more than 30% of children being acutely malnourished, and four children out of every 10,000 dying daily. Downing Street and Buckingham Palace denied claims by Labour MP Chris Bryant that royal officials raised concerns about Mr Coulson's appointment The UN said the humanitarian situation in Somalia's southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle districts…

An estimated 10 million people have been affected in East Africa by the worst drought in more than half a century. More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighbouring Kenya or Ethiopia. "What we need is assurances from the World Food Programme and from other agencies, the United Nations…

In April 2010 US President Barack Obama issued an executive order naming al-Shabab a terrorist organisation, meaning no US aid could go to areas under its control, our analyst adds. The BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says the emotive word "famine" is used rarely and carefully by humanitarian organisations, and it is the first time…

One woman he met arrived after a long trip, much of it on foot, carrying her one-and-a-half-year-old son on her back - only to realise, when she arrived, that he was dead. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia said the ongoing conflict in Somalia had made it extremely difficult for…

Drought, conflict and poverty have now combined to produce the necessary conditions for famine. 'Dangerously inadequate' He said discussions with al-Shabab about the safe distribution of food aid were taking place at a local level, and that responses were expected to differ depending on the locality. In April 2010 US President Barack Obama issued an…

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia said the ongoing conflict in Somalia had made it extremely difficult for agencies to access communities in the south, which are controlled by al-Shabab. The UN said the humanitarian situation in Somalia's southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle districts had deteriorated rapidly and declared them…

She said there had been a "surge of inquiries and requests for assistance from the public and solicitors". The UN has declared a famine in two areas of southern Somalia as the region experiences the worst drought in more than half a century.129909 160401 248860 177207 75646 19464 117657 208763 156244 217341 183320 227829 137220…

BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut says this marks a considerable change in policy from Washington. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia said the ongoing conflict in Somalia had made it extremely difficult for agencies to access communities in the south, which are controlled by al-Shabab. Save the Children's Sonia Zambakides…

The deputy administrator of the US Agency for International Development, Donald Steinberg, said the aid must not benefit al-Shabab. She said some of the mothers had walked up to six days with no food to try to find help. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said new funds to help the country were desperately needed.156273 126094…