<p>The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden said the Afgoye corridor, the Mogadishu IDP community, in all seven districts of the city, and the Middle Shabelle region are now in a state of famine.<br /><br />Last month, the UN had declared outright famine in Lower Shabelle and in southern Bakool region.<br /><br />The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said the appeal for funds to respond to the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa region, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti, is still only 44 per cent funded.<br /><br />An additional USD 1.4 billion is still required to cover unmet needs. An estimated 12.4 million people in the entire region are in need of assistance, OCHA said.<br /><br />It is estimated that 11 million people are impacted by the drought in the Horn of Africa. The UN had appealed for USD 1.6 billion to respond to the humanitarian crisis.<br /><br />In the Dadaab complex of refugee camps in Kenya – whose population has swelled to nearly 380,000 in recent months, including 40,000 arrivals from Somalia last month alone – the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported alarmingly high rates of acute malnutrition.<br /><br />While UNHCR has airlifted thousands of tents to Kenya to accommodate the refugee population, an additional 45,000 tents are still needed as the influx continues.<br /><br />The agency also voiced concern that Dadaab's water resources could soon be overstretched.<br /><br />Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia said one of the contributing factors to the famine has been the ongoing fighting in the country.<br /><br />Extremists are continuing their efforts to intimidate the population by preventing movement of people from the worst-hit areas, he said.<br /><br />"We call for the humanitarian agencies to be given unhindered access to all areas to provide desperately needed help," he said.</p>
<p>The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden said the Afgoye corridor, the Mogadishu IDP community, in all seven districts of the city, and the Middle Shabelle region are now in a state of famine.<br /><br />Last month, the UN had declared outright famine in Lower Shabelle and in southern Bakool region.<br /><br />The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said the appeal for funds to respond to the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa region, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti, is still only 44 per cent funded.<br /><br />An additional USD 1.4 billion is still required to cover unmet needs. An estimated 12.4 million people in the entire region are in need of assistance, OCHA said.<br /><br />It is estimated that 11 million people are impacted by the drought in the Horn of Africa. The UN had appealed for USD 1.6 billion to respond to the humanitarian crisis.<br /><br />In the Dadaab complex of refugee camps in Kenya – whose population has swelled to nearly 380,000 in recent months, including 40,000 arrivals from Somalia last month alone – the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported alarmingly high rates of acute malnutrition.<br /><br />While UNHCR has airlifted thousands of tents to Kenya to accommodate the refugee population, an additional 45,000 tents are still needed as the influx continues.<br /><br />The agency also voiced concern that Dadaab's water resources could soon be overstretched.<br /><br />Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia said one of the contributing factors to the famine has been the ongoing fighting in the country.<br /><br />Extremists are continuing their efforts to intimidate the population by preventing movement of people from the worst-hit areas, he said.<br /><br />"We call for the humanitarian agencies to be given unhindered access to all areas to provide desperately needed help," he said.</p>