Last week's exodus of nearly 90,000 people from the Somali capital of Mogadishu after several days of violence has slowed, aid workers say. But the U.N. refugee agency describes conditions for those who've fled as "extremely harsh". It says that in the past week, 15 new makeshift settlements have mushroomed along the road between Mogadishu and Afgooye, a small town to the west, bringing the total number of camps to 50.
The scant resources of local villages are being stretched and the infrastructure in the settlements can't meet the needs of the new influx of displace people. Water supplies are inadequate and there's a rise in malnourished children. Cases of rape have also been reported.
There's been little media coverage of recent events because access for journalists is extremely difficult. However, the United Nations has sent a camera crew to Afgooye in the past couple of days, and pool footage will be available from Reuters and Associated Press. It also plans to organise a press trip to the area in the next week to 10 days for journalists based in the region.
For more information, contact Dawn Blalock in Nairobi: blalock@un.org, +254 (0) 20 375 41 50
