MOGADISHU, Somalia, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A deteriorating security situation in Somalia has led to a rise in the number of rape cases for women at internally displaced camps, a U.N. official said.
The Kenyan military recently launched a military campaign against Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab following a string of kidnappings in the border region. The situation in the region is already tense as a lingering drought sparked a widespread humanitarian crisis.
Silje Heitmann, a specialist on gender-based violence at the U.N. Population Fund, told the United Nations' humanitarian news agency IRIN that sexual violence against women was in the rise.
"Attacks on women have gone up dramatically in the last two months and the severity of the attacks has become worse," said Heitmann.
Authorities blame roaming gangs of armed men under the influence of the natural stimulant khat for most of the regional violence.
Intelligence company Stratfor said it believes al-Shabaab is consolidating its positions in southern Somalia in preparation for a major fight with the Kenyans.
Regional activists told IRIN there is a culture of impunity in the area, which contributes to the rise in sexual violence.
