Submitted by crinadmin on
On 1 February 2007, mortar shells hit Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. One of these mortar shells struck one of the main camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Mogadishu, killing seven people including three children, and seriously wounding 12 others. The fighting between the Union of Islamic Courts and the transitional Federal government seemed to have ended, but recently there have been renewed ambush attacks on Mogadishu targeting the government headquarters. The situation of IDPs had previously been very serious when they fled from their homes. The most disadvantaged children are children in IDP camps and children from minority clans. The IDPs have no protection and children suffer all kinds of violence - the situation has reached unacceptable level insecurity and lawlessness. Children are experiencing psycho-social problems including lack of sleep, fear, violence, and stress. The Somali Child Protection and Development (SOCPD) has visited the IDP camp and witnessed people fleeing from the IDP camp. SOCPD has also visited Banadir and Madina hospitals in Mogadishu where there are more than seven children. In an interview, Dr. Abdirahmed Abdulahi Abdi at Banadir hospital, told SOCPD that the situation of children wounded in last night's mortar attacks is very bad because not only do they have serious injuries, but hospitals are facing medical shortages and families cannot afford to pay medical fees. SOCPD has been raising awareness about the problems on the ground in Somalia and about the importance of protecting children from violations of their rights. SOCPD urges the international community to give their immediate attention to the situation of Somali children. Further information