People in the countryside in central and southern Somalia were especially at risk.

It controlled much of northern and central Somalia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In south central Somalia only a handful of agencies are able to operate because access is so limited as a result of the conflict.

She is believed to have been sold to pirates now holding her in central Somalia.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was only a matter of time before serious fighting broke out in central Somalia.

Elders have put an end to the fighting in central Somalia.

However, the need is there in central Somalia.

Better yet, the rains have finally started in central and southern Somalia, easing both the drought and the famine.

The current levels of humanitarian distress in south and central Somalia have reached alarming proportions.

Relief groups fear that rising military tension will jeopardise aid efforts in central and southern Somalia, where humanitarian access is already difficult.