MaximsNewsNetwork: SOMALIA FIGHTING REFUGEES: ANTONIO GUTERRES of UNHCR

MaximsNewsNetwork: 02 October 2009 - UNHCR: Recent fighting in Somalia between rival factions has brought new violence to the southern port city of Kismayo and forced untold numbers of people to flee. A total of 145 people have been killed and 285 injured in heavy clashes in Kismayo, Beled Weyne and Mogadishu in September alone.

Alla Amin camp occupies a dusty expanse of land between Mogadishu and the Afgoye corridor. The camp is terribly overcrowded, with makeshift shelters made of bits of cloth, cardboard and sticks.
Everyone who lives here has a traumatic story to tell:

SOUNDBITE (Somalia) Hilowley Adan Mohamud, displaced from Mogadishu:
I saw many dead bodies and people injured on my way here. I, myself, came here on foot, I had no transport. I faced many challenges during the journey. Everything got burnt where I come from, so I couldnt take anything with me. Some people died burned and some dead bodies are still there. The fighting between the groups provoked a fire and all houses around got burnt. The fire killed more people than the bullets.
The constant violence in Somalia has made the delivery of aid extremely difficult and dangerous. UNHCR has distributed basic items to 100,000 of the displaced the last distribution was in August.
At a press conference today (2 October) in Geneva, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres underlined the need for humanitarian access.
SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
When humanitarian workers dont have access protection by presence disappears. And more human rights violations take place. Because if you are not there you cannot report if you cannot monitor some of these armed groups feel more free to do even worse things, so indeed its a vicious circle.

To escape the intense fighting families had to leave everything behind. They arrive in the camps with nothing, no bed, blankets, food or shelter.

SOUNDBITE (Somali) Khadija Hassan Mohamed fled from Mogadishu:
There is nothing here. There is hunger. We have so many problems and nobody is giving us and food. We dont even have anything to sleep on.

Until now the makeshift camps are a safe distance from the fighting. However the UN refugee agency fears that should the fighting between between Al Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam escalate, the half million people who have found refuge here could be affected and uprooted once again.

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