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| Somalia crisis 'Africa's worst' | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The "very dire" humanitarian crisis in Somalia is the worst in Africa for many years, the aid agency Oxfam has warned. | The "very dire" humanitarian crisis in Somalia is the worst in Africa for many years, the aid agency Oxfam has warned. |
| Many of its hundreds of thousands of internally-displaced people, the world's largest such concentration, have no food or shelter, said Oxfam. | Many of its hundreds of thousands of internally-displaced people, the world's largest such concentration, have no food or shelter, said Oxfam. |
| Civilians have been fleeing an intense see-sawing battle between hardline Islamist guerrillas and forces loyal to the UN-backed government in Mogadishu. | Civilians have been fleeing an intense see-sawing battle between hardline Islamist guerrillas and forces loyal to the UN-backed government in Mogadishu. |
| The exodus continued from the capital on Tuesday amid the crackle of gunfire. | The exodus continued from the capital on Tuesday amid the crackle of gunfire. |
| It is estimated at least one million people have been internally displaced by almost perpetual civil conflict in the failed Horn of Africa nation since the collapse of its central government in 1991. | It is estimated at least one million people have been internally displaced by almost perpetual civil conflict in the failed Horn of Africa nation since the collapse of its central government in 1991. |
| Hassan Noor, Oxfam's humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia, told the BBC's Network Africa programme that circumstances in Mogadishu were "very dire". | Hassan Noor, Oxfam's humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia, told the BBC's Network Africa programme that circumstances in Mogadishu were "very dire". |
| "I have seen the situation in Darfur, northern Uganda, some parts of Congo, but what is actually happening now in Somalia is indeed the worst kind of humanitarian situation in Africa in many years," he said. | "I have seen the situation in Darfur, northern Uganda, some parts of Congo, but what is actually happening now in Somalia is indeed the worst kind of humanitarian situation in Africa in many years," he said. |
| "The situation is really appalling," he added. | "The situation is really appalling," he added. |
| "There are hundreds of children all over the area with tubes on their faces and [saline] drips on their hands. Some of them are actually unconscious and suffering from all sorts of diseases, mainly acute water diarrhoea and cholera." | "There are hundreds of children all over the area with tubes on their faces and [saline] drips on their hands. Some of them are actually unconscious and suffering from all sorts of diseases, mainly acute water diarrhoea and cholera." |
| Civilians continued to flee Mogadishu on Tuesday and many thousands have settled on the outskirts of the city where they are sheltering under trees without food or water. | Civilians continued to flee Mogadishu on Tuesday and many thousands have settled on the outskirts of the city where they are sheltering under trees without food or water. |
| The BBC's Mohamad Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says there is sporadic gunfire in the capital but this counts as a relative lull in the fighting and city-dwellers are taking advantage of it to get out, carrying light belongings in the arms. | |
| Radical Islamist militia groups, Hisbul-Islam and al-Shabab, have been locked in fierce battles in the Somali capital with pro-government forces that have displaced more than 60,000 civilians since 7 May. | Radical Islamist militia groups, Hisbul-Islam and al-Shabab, have been locked in fierce battles in the Somali capital with pro-government forces that have displaced more than 60,000 civilians since 7 May. |
| Pro-government forces appeared to gain some ground on Monday as they pressed on with a counter-offensive launched last week. | |
| Loyalist troops in north Mogadishu retook a police station which had been occupied by insurgent fighters for the past month. The police station is seen as the key to controlling that area of town. | Loyalist troops in north Mogadishu retook a police station which had been occupied by insurgent fighters for the past month. The police station is seen as the key to controlling that area of town. |
| At least 10 people were killed in the clashes, including five Somali policemen caught in a roadside bomb blast. |