In Somalia, War Feeds Famine Al-Shabaab, Government Forces Share Responsibility for Violence
by Human Rights Watch
“All our animals died,” said a young man who fled an area of Somalia controlled by the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab. “There are no camels anymore, no goats, no cattle, and even people started dying. There was no food because al-Shabaab would not allow the aid agencies to bring food.”
The resurgence this year of Somalia’s 20-year conflict has intensified the suffering caused by a devastating famine, a new report says.
Al-Shabaab severely restricts aid and refuses to allow people living in areas it controls to flee the violence. The rebels’ reported withdrawal from Mogadishu may bring some respite, but future abuses are feared.
Government forces and other armed groups share responsibility with al-Shabaab for violating the laws of war. Civilians don’t know where to turn for protection. Al-Shabaab often fires mortars from densely populated areas, leading government forces to return fire into the same populated areas.
Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have fled to Kenya, risking violence and extortion along the way. But the existing refugee camps are overcrowded, and Kenya has yet to make additional land available.
All sides need to take urgent steps to stop unlawful attacks, let in aid, and end this humanitarian nightmare.
0 comments:
Post a Comment