Somalia: IDP influx from Mogadishu overwhelms southern town

Hungry, exhausted and traumatised, thousands of civilians have been pouring into Afmadow, a Somalian town near the Kenyan border, having fled the “hell on earth” of their embattled capital, some 630 kilometres to the north. Among them was Hawo Ali, who arrived in Afmadow on 15 November, five days after escaping Mogadishu with 20 of her relatives and neighbours, including a 10-month-old baby. Ali said she saw troops in the city killing 21 people, including women and children.