(SomaliNet) Violence in Somali capital Mogadishu in recent weeks has displaced some 37,000 people, swelling an internal refugee population of 1.1 million in Somalia, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) said on Monday. Experts say some 52 NGOs signed a statement expressing concern about the "devastating humanitarian crisis" and "horrendous" violence in Somalia, where Islamist insurgents are battling the government and its Ethiopian military backers.
| Wow, 52 of them? That must be some statement of concern! |
| And wasn't in too great of shape prior to that. And is populated by a whole lot of ingrates, thieves, pirates and cutthroats. |
U.N.-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."
The NGOs criticised all parties in the Somali conflict for indiscriminate and disproportional use of force. They noted that attacks on aid workers were hurting humanitarian efforts. "This year alone 24 aid workers, of which 20 are Somali nationals, have been killed whilst carrying out their work. The whereabouts of another ten are unknown. There have been 111 reported security incidents directly targeting aid agencies."
| The locals don't seem to appreciate you. Why don't you try working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? Or Burma? Or Zimbabwe? |