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Famine conditions in Somalia have ended, UN says Famine conditions in Somalia have ended, UN says
(about 3 hours later)
Famine conditions have ended in war-torn Somalia six months after being first declared, the UN has said.Famine conditions have ended in war-torn Somalia six months after being first declared, the UN has said.
The improvement in access to food is due to a good harvest and significant humanitarian assistance, it said.The improvement in access to food is due to a good harvest and significant humanitarian assistance, it said.
But the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for the country said the situation remained serious.But the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for the country said the situation remained serious.
Nearly a third of the population - some 2.34 million people - still need emergency support, the Somalia Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit said.Nearly a third of the population - some 2.34 million people - still need emergency support, the Somalia Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit said.
Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and has been wracked by fighting between militias. Last month, the UN said that tens of thousands of people would have died of starvation by the time the food crisis ended.
Somalia has been worst hit by East Africa's worst drought in 60 years, because of its instability.
Many Somalis fled rural areas controlled by the Islamist al-Shabab group as it has banned most Western aid agencies from operating in its territory.
On Monday, the al-Qaeda-linked militants expelled the International Committee of the Red Cross, one the few international groups still delivering food aid to areas under their control.
'Fragile gains''Fragile gains'
The UN declared famine in two parts of southern Somalia last July and, in September, extended the famine warning to six out of eight regions in the country. The UN declared a famine in two parts of southern Somalia last July and, in September, extended the warning to four more regions of the country.
"The gains are fragile and will be reversed without continued support," said the UN's Humanitarian Co-Ordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden. "The gains are fragile and will be reversed without continued support," said Mark Bowden, the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia.
He said in southern Somalia alone, some 1.7 million remained "in crisis".He said in southern Somalia alone, some 1.7 million remained "in crisis".
"Millions of people still need food, clean water, shelter and other assistance to survive and the situation is expected to deteriorate in May," he said."Millions of people still need food, clean water, shelter and other assistance to survive and the situation is expected to deteriorate in May," he said.
The UN said that the latest harvest in Somalia was double that of the average over the past 17 years, lowering food prices, though mortality rates in southern Somalia were still among the highest in the world.The UN said that the latest harvest in Somalia was double that of the average over the past 17 years, lowering food prices, though mortality rates in southern Somalia were still among the highest in the world.
Although $1.3bn (£84mn) worth of aid has been poured into the country, the scale of the suffering is immense, says the BBC's Martin Plaut. The situation is particularly precarious for an estimated 325,000 children who are acutely malnourished, the UN said.
Although $1.3bn (£84mn) worth of aid has been poured into the country, the scale of the suffering remains immense, says the BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut.
"The crisis is not over. It can only be resolved with a combination of rains and continued, co-ordinated, long-term actions that build up the resilience of local populations and link relief with development," Jose Graziano da Silva, the new head of the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation, said in Nairobi.
Last year, tens of thousands of Somalis fled rural areas - many over the borders to Ethiopia and Kenya - in search of food. The UN estimates that a total of 1.5 million people have been displaced by the crisis.Last year, tens of thousands of Somalis fled rural areas - many over the borders to Ethiopia and Kenya - in search of food. The UN estimates that a total of 1.5 million people have been displaced by the crisis.
On Monday, al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab - which controls much of central and southern Somalia - expelled the International Committee of the Red Cross. Vulnerable areas remain in the southern and central areas of Somalia under the control of al-Shabab.
The (ICRC) was one of the few international aid agencies delivering food aid to areas under rebel control. In recent weeks, al-Shabab has lost ground to both Kenyan and Ethiopian forces, which have moved onto Somali territory.
Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and has been racked by fighting between militias.