More displaced Somalis from the Bay area moved into the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in droves on Tuesday, as the nation continues to suffer from drought and famine. This region is the sixth in Somalia to be impacted by starvation since the United Nation's first announced the outbreak of famine in July which has affected a little over half the population. On Monday, the UN said that the six out of eight regions south of the country are now affected by the famine, as 750, 000 Somalis are at risk of starvation. Amina Mohammed is an example of a person who has been displaced within Somalia. "I came from Bay in Southern Somalia last month because of the drought, I settled at Galkayo but the recent clashes scared me and I had to move from there. I got here yesterday but the situation looks the same from where I came from, I don't know what to do," she said. Moreover, aid agencies are facing difficulty supplying the people with food, as the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Shabab rebels are prohibiting incoming aid to the southern territory which they predominantly control. Also, displaced farmers don't have enough time to reach their farms to tend their crops by October, when brief rainfall is expected. "The situation at Bay was very bad, there is a lot of starvation there and there is no water. The last time it rained there was years ago and all our livestock was wiped out. We are farmers and all our crops died, I don't think enough attention is being given to this situation," she said. The displaced have been complaining about the lack of basic human necessities like food and shelter. Thirty percent are suffering from severe malnourishment and the UN reports two in 10,000 deaths a day. Since the end of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre's rule 20 years ago, Somalia has been hit by continuous conflict and civil war. The country has been ruled by interim governments since 2004, but a meeting was held by various stakeholders on Tuesday in the capital Mogadishu to discuss both security and political reform and the holding of elections next year. By Noora Faraj AlArabiya with Agencies Speaker: Amina Mohammed - Internally displaced Somali Voice: Nadia Idriss Mayen
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Added: 234 days ago by
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Somaliland shelters war-displaced - 12 Nov 09
Thousands of people displaced by fighting in Somalia are ending up in the relatively peaceful neighbouring territory, Somaliland. Once part of Somalia, it is now a self-declared republic in the troubled Horn of Africa region, and has been seeking international recognition of its independence since 1991. Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, in Burao, the main city of Togdheer province, says the complicated nature of local politics is blocking relief efforts. Somaliland is a former British protectorate in north western Somalia. In 1960, it gained its independence and united with what was then Italian Somaliland to form the Somalia republic. In 1991, it declared independence after Mohamed Siad Barre, the Somali military leader, was overthrown. Political unrest Tension over the Somaliland presidential election, which was due to have been held on September 27, has given rise to fears that the self-declared territory could become a failed state like its neighbour Somalia. The polls have been postponed indefinitely due to serious differences between the political parties since 2008. The complicated nature of local politics is blocking relief efforts in Burao This uncertainty has led to increased concern about Somaliland in the international community, and a flare-up of political animosity within the territory. Recent violence, particularly in the capital Hargeysa, has shown that the crisis in Somaliland has changed from being political to one of security and stability. Despite the unrest in September, Somaliland has a relatively stable democracy. It has a population of 3.5 million people, according to government estimates, and is a relatively stable democracy even though it has not been internationally recognised. This is partly because it has developed a unique hybrid system of government. The row over elections - largely seen as a test for this fledgling nation - threatens to divide it.
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Added: 346 days ago by
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