MOGADISHU, Somalia, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The United Nations said tens of thousands of people fled Mogadishu during fighting last weekend in the Somali capital.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said up to 88,000 -- more than the total over the past four months -- fled the Somali capital due to increased fighting, a U.N. news release said.
“Increased fighting and a general decline in the security situation in the city are prompting this increased exodus,” the statement read.
More than 400,000 civilians left Mogadishu this year, bringing the total numbers of displaced people to more than 800,000.
John Holmes, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke of the deteriorating humanitarian aid environment in Somalia, saying, "I am very concerned that national and international NGOs are now saying that they cannot respond effectively to the crisis because access and security are deteriorating dramatically even as needs are increasing.”
Holmes' statement continued, "It is the responsibility of the Transitional Federal Authority, including all officials at all levels, to do all they can to facilitate the major humanitarian endeavor required to save lives and ease the suffering of Somalia's people."
