Humanitarian situation worsens in Somalia:UN

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Somalia, Philippe Lazzarini, warned Thursday that the humanitarian situation in the country has significantly deteriorated this year for the first time since the end of the 2011 famine.

The humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa country worsens as a result of a combination of conflict, drought, floods, increasing food prices and limited aid access, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here quoting Lazzarini.

"More than 3 million Somalis need humanitarian assistance urgently, including 1 million people who can't meet their minimum food requirements -- this is a 20 percent increase compared to the same time last year," Dujarric said.

Aid organisations need $863 million to help more than 2.7 million Somalis in the coming year, he added.

Earlier this year, the UN has said poor rains, high food prices and ongoing conflict have intersected to push Somalia once gain to the brink of crisis, warning that without immediate action, the fragile food security situation could worsen in the coming months.

Somalia has been plagued by political infighting and outbursts of extremist violence as the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, continues to wage a simmering insurgency.