UN declares three new famine zones in Somalia

The UN declared three new regions in Somalia famine zones yesterday, expanding the area where the highest rates ofmalnutrition and mortality are taking place, including the refugee camps in the capital, Mogadishu.

The UN’s food arm said that famine is likely to spread across all regions of Somalia’s south in the next four to six weeks. Famine conditions are likely to persist until December, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said.

Across Somalia, 3.7 million people are in crisis, the UN says, out of a population of 7.5 million. The UN says 3.2 million are in need of immediate, lifesaving assistance.