The "precarious humanitarian situation" in southern Somalia has been worsened by a United States clampdown on Islamic money-lending institutions accused of being channels for terrorist funds, an official with a leading British charity said today.
The United Nations Food Programme has made a renewed appeal for humanitarian aid for half-a-million people in the south of Somalia who are suffering from serious food shortages.
Peace talks aimed at bringing about reconciliation between the Transitional National Government (TNG) and factions opposed to it, due to open in Nairobi last week, failed to start because of the absence of some key faction leaders. However, efforts were now under way to get the talks started "by today or tomorrow", a Kenyan government source told IRIN on Tuesday.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has expressed serious concern over the food situation in Somalia, saying it is deteriorating rapidly mainly due to drought.
