Fighting in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu has severely slowed down humanitarian assistance to thousands of people displaced by war and drought, adding to the growing number of homeless Somalis, a UN aid agency said. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, said Tuesday efforts to deliver aid to 180,000 people in Mogadishu and South central Somalia were facing difficulties, due to the ongoing fighting in the capital.

Somalia already had 370,000 internally displaced people in Mogadishu before the onset of the current drought and famine, which has affected the entire Horn of Africa region.

The latest fighting has driven out some 100,000 people from their homes.

“This increase can be traced back to mid-June when our population Movement Tracking partners recorded a sharp increase in the numbers fleeing Mogadishu,” UNHCR said in a statement about its operations in Somalia.

UNHCR is planning a major relief airlift to Somalia to help deal with the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of African nation.

The UN agency is planning to boost its operations in Mogadishu by airlifting relief supplies from Dubai, the Arabian Gulf.

In July, 27,000 people were forced out of their homes and sought refuge in Mogadishu from the neighbouring regions of Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle.

The three districts of Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle are amongst the worst drought-affected areas.

Meanwhile, refugee outflows from Somalia to Kenya have intensified over the past month, reaching historically high levels of 40,000 monthly arrivals in Dadaab refugee camp, currently classified as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

Pana 04/08/2011