The US has pledged an additional $28m in aid for people affected by the drought and food crisis in Somalia, but stressed the money would not be used to provide assistance in areas under the control of the rebel group al-Shabaab.
The two regions declared to be in a state of famine in Somalia are Bakool and Lower Shabelle in the south of the country. Both are believed to be in the hands of al-Shabaab, which is affiliated to al-Qaida and is on the US list of terrorist organisations.
Around 3.7 million people – almost half of the Somali population - are now facing severe food shortages, 2.8 million of whom are in the south. The UN says that up to 12 million people are now in need of emergency assistance as a result of failed harvests, drought, rising food prices and conflict in east Africa.
The US has spent more than $431m in emergency assistance in the area this year.
In a press briefing in London on Wednesday, Donald Steinberg, deputy administrator of USAid, the US agency for international development, made it clear that America would need assurances from the UN and the World Food Programme that al-Shabaab would not restrict the delivery of US-funded aid before authorising its delivery to rebel-held regions.
"We are committed to saving lives in Somalia and we are already working in any area not controlled by al-Shabaab," said Steinberg. "Unfortunately, about 60% of people affected are in al-Shabaab territories. We've instructed Unicef and WFP that they can use our assistance in any part not under al-Shabaab control. As soon as UN and WFP declare that al-Shabaab is not going to be taxing assistance or hindering assistance using the local population as hostages and can prove unfettered access we are prepared to go ahead with assistance through any agency."
Last week, al-Shabaab said it would now allow foreign aid agencies into territories it controlled. The move has been welcomed by aid agencies, but the UN wants further guarantees that the aid will get to the people most in need.
Around $5m of the additonal $28m in US aid is expected to be spent on relief for Somali refugees arriving daily at Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya. The rest will be spent on food aid and other basic services.
Steinberg said the US was pressing the president of Eritrea, Isaias Afewerki, to disclose information on the impact of the drought in his country.
He said weather patterns and the affect of the drought on neighbouring states, such as Dijbouti, where 120,000 people are believed to be in need of assistance, would suggest Eritrea is experiencing similar problems, but there was too little information to offer anything other than a "skewed picture" of the situation. "We have called on the president to allow the international community, as well as humanitarian organisations, to fully monitor what is going on and open up to life saving assistance if necessary," said Steinberg.
Around 7.5 million people in Ethiopia were now able to ride the worst of the drought because of the agricultural cash for work programmes that had been introduced in the country to enable people to become more food secure, added Steinberg. However, he conceded that 4.5 million people were still in need of humanitarian assistance and the government would need to address long-term food security concerns brought about by changing weather patterns.
"It's not just every 10 years we are experiencing drought. We have a situation where rains fail every other year and so this is the climactic effect we are seeing. It's going to have a dramatic affect on the way of life in Ethiopia. Pastoralist communities will be increasingly under pressure. The government and its people are going to have to respond effectively."
Last month, a third refugee camp was opened in Dolo Ado in Ethiopia to accommodate Somali refugees, which, as of 30 June, numbered more than 54,000. The total number of refugees in Ethiopia is believed to be more than 135,000.
