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MOGADISHU,
(CAJ News) – AN outbreak of violence has forced up to 100 000 people to flee their homes in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, this week.
Among those displaced by ethnic violence that erupted last Sunday are internally displaced people who had sought refuge in the city but have again fled to find refuge at the outskirts.
“I am extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Mogadishu,” said Cesar Arroyo, acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia.
“Apart from displacing innocent civilians, the initial violence has created uncertainty and fear of disruptions of humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people across the city.”
Kirsty.Cameron [at] rescue.org
Tom Garofalo, the International Rescue Committee’s Country Director for Libya, said: In the past 2 days, we have seen a worrying spike in the number of people attempting the treacherous journey to Europe from Libya. At least 1,200 people have left the country in flimsy, overcrowded rafts, so desperate to reach safety that they’ve been willing to risk their own lives, and those of their children, on the world’s most dangerous sea crossing.
“Over 800 of those who’ve attempted this journey have been brought back by the Libyan Coast Guard so far, and our teams are currently on standby to provide emergency medical care for four more boats carrying at least 247 more survivors - including three children, at least one of whom had hypothermia - as well as the bodies of two men who tragically didn’t survive. In just the last 48 hours we ve carried out three emergency responses.