IDPs flee violence in Mogadishu

Submitted by crinadmin on


 
Last night, Thursday Feb 1 2007, mortar shells were thrown in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. One shell hit one of main Internationally Displaced People (IDP) camps in Mogadishu. It killed seven people including 3 children and seriously wounding 12 others.
 
Banadir and Madina Hospitals in Mogadishu reported that more than seven children are in the hospitals. Dr. Abdirahmed Abdulahi Abdi of Banadir Hospital said, “These children have serious injures from the mortar attacks last night, but they are from marginalized families who can't afford to pay medical fees. We also face medical shortages.” 
 
The situation has reached unacceptable levels of insecurity and lawlessness. IDPs, and children in particular, have no protection from the violence. Somali Child Protection and Development (SOCPD) has visited the IDP camp and witnessed people starting to leave. IDPs have already fled from their original homes, and the most disadvantaged are the children from minority clan in the camps.
 
The fighting between the Union of Islamic Courts and the transitional Federal government seemed to be finished, but recently there have been renewed ambushes targeting the government base of Mogadishu.
 
We are asking the international community to give their attention to the situation Somalian children live with daily.

Country: 
Somalia
Issues: 
Refugee and unaccompanied children
Minority or indigenous children
Gang violence
State neglect
State violence
Violence: 
Gang violence
State neglect
State violence

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