Fighting in Somalia to cause aid crisis

A warning came from the UN officials stating that Somalia currently faces a humanitarian disaster. This is due to the fact that the government-backed forces from Ethiopia are fighting the insurgents. The UN officials stated that about 200,000 people have abandoned their homes in the capital of Mogadishu due to the increasing conflict and continuous clashes.

It was mentioned that the fighting is the main reason why UN cannot deliver aid to the displaced. A lot of people are in need of food and water. Cholera and diarrhoea were the main cause of hundreds of deaths.

The majority of the displaced are women and children. Eric Laroche, who is the UN humanitarian coordinator, said that most men are still remaining in the capital. He mentioned that it is important that the UN gets access to the people in Mogadishu as soon as possible.

The fighting on Friday came after at least 20 people died when the Ethiopian convoy mined 20 kilometers of the road that lead from Mogadishu to Afgooye.

People that were the eyewitnesses of the explosions said that they heard a sound of detonation at the complex of Ethiopian army south of the city.

None of the correspondents was able to explain what was the cause of Thursday morning's fighting in the city. Hassan Ibrahim, the driver of a minibus with wounded people that drove to the hospital, said that there were 6 consecutive missiles that killed and wounded a lot of people.

Although last December Ethiopia helped the government forces in ousting an Islamist group from Mogadishu, the violence in the region has continued.

Agencies providing aim to people in the region say that women and children have abandoned Mogadishu and now it seems that the city serves as home only for soldiers, militia and men who continue protecting their property.