Somalis now dealing with drought

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MOGADISHU, Somalia, July 10 (UPI) -- About 1,500 Somalis are turning up in the capital of Mogadishu daily, fleeing the country's worsening drought, officials said.

But they're not finding too much help in Mogadishu, which has been heavily damaged by years of fighting, the BBC reported.

The BBC said regular citizens are trying to help those who turn up in Mogadishu seeking aid. Somalia is at the center of a drought affecting about 10 million people in four countries in the Horn of Africa.

Al-Shabaab -- considered a terrorist organization by the United States -- has established a camp outside Mogadishu for drought victims, as have international organizations, which have set up tent, food stores and clinics.

Antonio Guterres, head of the United Nations' refugee agency, said he wants additional aid agencies to go into Somalia to help drought victims.

"There are very severe obstacles and links to security that need to be removed, but I think it is essential to move in that direction," Guterres said.