By IANS,
Nairobi: The UN urgently needs $11 million to support its humanitarian programmes for thousands of displaced people living at the relief camps on the outskirts of the Somali capital, the WAM news agency reported.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said there is a shortage of medicine, water, food and sanitation facilities, mainly at the camps in the Afgooye area, and the situation could become worse if the funds are not immediately made available.
The OCHA has launched the WASH (Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programme to help the people who were uprooted from their homes due to the fighting between Somali forces and Islamic militants in Mogadishu.
The UN agency said Friday it received just 20 percent of the total funds it requested from the global community.
It said that it could provide only 6.3 litres of water per person daily at the camps, while some people received as little as two litres. Currently, there is just one toilet for every 212 people, while the minimum standard set by the UN prescribed one toilet for 20 people.
Last week, at least 50 people were killed and more than 120 wounded in fighting in the Abdulaziz, Shibis and Yaaqshiid districts of Mogadishu.
Since June 1, around 135,000 people have been displaced, of which 37,000 have moved to the Afgooye area, while the rest of the people moved to other parts of Somalia.