Mogadishu - International aid organisations are warning of a humanitarian disaster in Somalia. In a statement, 40 organisations including Oxfam and Save the Children, say that the continuing violence has made the country increasingly dangerous to aid workers. Heavy fighting is raging between Islamist insurgents and government troops supported by Ethiopian soldiers.

At present, two million Somalians need aid on a daily basis. Drought in many parts of the country and record food prices have led to a serious deterioration of the situation since the aid organisations warned in October last year that Somalia was headed towards crisis.

The organisations are calling on the warring parties and the international community to "urgently focus their attention on the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Somalia".

On Thursday, the UN Security Council will discuss a proposal by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to deploy 27,000 UN peacekeepers to Somalia. The UN forces would replace the 2,400 African Union peacekeepers currently stationed in Somalia.