The food situation in war-torn Darfur has slightly improved despite deteriorating security but the condition of those most in need remains precarious, the UN said on Saturday.
"Overall malnutrition levels have mostly stabilised in 2006 and food insecurity has improved slightly," the United Nations said in a report on the results of its latest assessment of nutrition needs in the western Sudan region where a civil war has raged since February 2003.
"Crude mortality dropped for the third year running, but insecurity and lack of access to many Darfurians continued to cloud the aid picture," the report said.
UN humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organisations, it added, have been able to deliver life-saving services including food aid, clean water, health services and agricultural assistance.
However, it warned, "the condition of those in greatest need remains very precarious".
At least 200,000 people have died as a result of fighting, famine and disease, and more than two million have fled their homes in Darfur since the conflict erupted between local rebels and pro-government militia.
The UN assessment found that while the malnutrition rate among children under five rose slightly, from 11.9 percent last year to 13.1 percent this year, they were still way below the 2004 rate of 21.8 percent.
The assessment sampled households from the 3.7 million people receiving aid, out of a total population in Darfur of six million people, but because of insecurity and bad weather some critical areas were not assessed, the report said.