Somali mortar attack claims lives

Violence continues in lawless capital as aid groups warn of “humanitarian disaster”.

Man killed in Mogadishu market shelling attack
Civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence in Somalia, aid groups say [File: AFP]

Aid workers say the world is shrugging its shoulders at yet more suffering in Somalia, which has been mired in civil conflict since the 1991 fall of a dictator.
   
“Nearly half of Somalia’s population, or 3.25 million people, are now in need of emergency aid. This is a 77 per cent increase since the beginning of 2008,” the NGOs said.
   
“This number has increased dramatically over the past year due to the destructive combination of extreme insecurity, drought and record-high food prices. The situation is expected to deteriorate further with ordinary Somalis bearing the brunt.”
   
UN-led efforts to broker peace have not brought any lessening of violence “that continues to have a horrendous impact on civilians,” they said.
   
“In the last few weeks, renewed shelling in Mogadishu has displaced approximately 37,000 civilians from their homes. Over the past nine months, 870,000 have fled for their lives. A total of 1.1 million people are currently displaced in Somalia today.”

Source: News Agencies