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. Downing Street confirms that the prime minister received and responded to a letter from Labour MP Tom Watson last October, in which he had raised concerns about Mr Coulson During…

But US aid officials say assurances must be given that the insurgents will not interfere with its distribution. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group which controls large swathes of south and central Somalia, had imposed a ban on foreign aid agencies in its territories in 2009, but has recently allowed limited access. Save the Children's Sonia Zambakides…

"The overall requirement is $1.6bn (�990m) for Somalia, roughly $300m is needed in the next two months to provide an adequate response to famine-affected areas. Children and adults are dying at an appalling rate," Mr Ban said. The deputy administrator of the US Agency for International Development, Donald Steinberg, said the aid must not benefit…

Save the Children's Sonia Zambakides told the BBC the situation in Somalia was shocking. Those conditions include more than 30% of children being acutely malnourished, and four children out of every 10,000 dying daily. Downing Street confirms that the prime minister received and responded to a letter from Labour MP Tom Watson last October, in…

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. She said the US had already provided $431m this year in emergency aid to the Horn of Africa, but that was "not enough". Some children look like skeletons while others…

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 the company. The BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says the emotive word "famine" is used rarely and carefully by humanitarian organisations,…

He said the goal was to save lives, "not to play a game of 'gotcha' with a UN agency or any other group that is brave enough to go in and provide that assistance". The BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says the emotive word "famine" is used rarely and carefully by humanitarian organisations, and it…

that they can operate unfettered," Mr Steinberg told the BBC. 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. The US considers al-Shabab a terrorist group and last year stopped aid to the large area of Somalia it controls. Downing Street confirms that…

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said new funds to help the country were desperately needed. The US considers al-Shabab a terrorist group and last year stopped aid to the large area of Somalia it controls. The UN has declared a famine in two areas of southern Somalia as the region experiences the worst drought in…

But US aid officials say assurances must be given that the insurgents will not interfere with its distribution. News International's parent company News Corporation has also confirmed it has stopped paying the legal fees of former private detective Glenn Mulcaire, who was convicted of phone hacking on behalf of the News of the World in…