Somalia: 10,000 people forced to flee due to ongoing clashes between al-Shabaab militants and government forces
More than 10,000 local residents are reported displaced in November due to an ongoing conflict in Middle and Lower Shabelle region in Somalia’s south, a Norway-based humanitarian agency said on Monday.
The displacement of people has been triggered by recent fierce fighting between al-Shabaab militants and government forces in the region, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a statement.
“We’re seeing a spike in families fleeing fighting that are arriving in overcrowded camps in Mogadishu. The camps are already overfilled with drought-stricken people, barely surviving in flimsy shelters,” said Victor Moses, the NRC’s country director in Somalia.
“The double shock to people fleeing both conflict and drought means that they have to endure multiple crises at once, and this can push them over the brink,” he added.
The statement said that more than a million people have been internally displaced in the war-torn country since January due to conflict, insecurity, and flooding.