United Nations Radio

The UN Children's Fund has been able to provide food to more than 40,000 children displaced by fighting in Somalia.

The agency has warned that over two and a half million Somalis are currently considered 'food insecure' and the number could rise to three and a half million by the end of the year.

That number is almost half of the total population of Somalia and UNICEF which is extremely concerned about the most vulnerable among these people is using all means possible to prevent a catastrophe for the youngest children.

United Nations spokesman Farhan Haq says that despite difficulties, the UN children's agency has continued its work unabated providing food to some 44,000 Somali children in recent days.

"The children are among 300,000 displaced Somalis who fled fighting in Mogadishu and are temporarily housed in UN-run camps in central and southern Somalia. UNICEF says the children will each be receiving 10 kilos of fortified corn-soya blend per month."

Working with local elders and a Somali non-governmental organization called Jumbo Peace and Development, UNICEF wants to reach over 90 per cent of all children who have been displaced from Mogadishu.

For UN Radio, I'm Dianne Penn.

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