The UNHCR reported Feb. 2 that a sharp rise in violence in Somalia in January left nearly 260 civilians dead, in addition to uprooting over 80,000 and causing widespread destruction. According to local sources, intense clashes between Government forces and militia groups fighting in the strife-torn central regions have also left 253 civilians wounded. All of this “makes January the deadliest month since last August,” UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said. During January, some 29,000 people have been uprooted by heavy fighting in Dhusamareebb in Galgaduud region, with the internally displaced persons (IDPs) there facing difficult conditions. “There are also growing concerns about the health conditions of particularly vulnerable groups – such as children, women and elderly,” Mahecic said. (U.N. News Service)
