Recurring clashes between security forces and clan leaders in Las Anod in northern Somalia have resulted in the killing of 80 people and displacement of 30,000 more, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.
The WHO said in its latest update that between 154,000 and 203,000 people are estimated to have been displaced since December 2022 in the ongoing fighting.
“The situation has escalated at a time when people in the Sool region are experiencing unprecedented water shortages due to the severe drought and facing an elevated risk of disease outbreaks,” the UN health agency warned.
According to the UN, since clashes erupted in the city of Las Anod in northern Somalia on Feb. 6, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced within Somalia, and an estimated 100,000 have crossed the border into Ethiopia to escape violence.
The WHO, which has ramped up medical response in the area, said it has donated biomedical equipment to establish a triage corner in Kalabeydh and trained health staff on triage management. It also said 24 community-based surveillance teams were deployed to carry out case detection, testing, case management, and referral of severe cases to the health facilities in the Hudun and Buhoodle districts.
