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Emergency declared in west Burma
The UN has decided to temporarily relocate non-essential staff in Burma's Rakhine state, where tensions remain high after deadly unrest.
It said "serious disturbances" and the imposition of a state of emergency prompted the move, which is being implemented on a voluntary basis.
Recent violence in troubled Rakhine state has left seven dead.
Tensions flared after the murder of a Buddhist woman last month, followed by an attack on a bus carrying Muslims.
The UN released a statement saying it had decided "to temporarily relocate, on a voluntary basis, non-essential international and national" UN staff, affiliated organisations and their families.
It said it had requested "full government support for the safety and security of all UN and INGO staff and their families in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Sittwe", while they are relocated to the capital, Rangoon.
State media said the state of emergency, imposed late Sunday night, was in response to increasing unrest and attacks and "intended to restore security and stability to the people immediately".
According to a Reuters report, the violence over the weekend began on Friday in the Rakhine State town of Maungdaw, spreading to the capital Sittwe and neighbouring villages.
Rival Buddhist and Muslim groups were seen setting houses on fire, reports said.
In a televised speech, President Thein Sein said the violence could put the country's moves towards democracy in danger.
The clashes began on 4 June when a mob attacked a bus in Taungup, Rakhine province, apparently mistakenly believing some of the passengers were responsible for the earlier rape and murder of a Buddhist woman.
Rakhine state is named for the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist majority but also has a sizeable Muslim population, including the Rohingya minority.
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group and are stateless, as Burma considers them to be illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.
A nominally civilian government was elected in 2010 and, in April this year, opposition politicians led by Aung San Suu Kyi entered Burma's parliament following historic by-elections.
However, the government is still dominated by the military and concerns over political repression and human rights abuses continue.
