At least five people have been killed and 15 others wounded after a gunfight broke out between Somali government forces at a camp for famine refugees in the capital Mogadishu, Press TV reported.

Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops turned on each other at Badbado refugee camp in Wadajir district of southern Mogadishu as some soldiers tried to steal aid portions for famine-hit Somali families.

The two sides exchanged heavy gunfire during the fighting. The firefight sparked panic among the refugees.

The victims were caught in the crossfire as people ran for cover, trampling over each other. Five civilians were killed and fifteen others were also wounded as a result.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on September 28 that the humanitarian situation remains “highly critical” in Somalia.

“The situation in Somalia remains highly critical. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis are still displaced from their homes in search of security and food,” the ICRC said in a statement.

The Geneva-based humanitarian institution added, “Although humanitarian aid has started to reach the drought- and conflict-affected people, many are still struggling to survive.”

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Strategically located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia remains one of the countries generating the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world.

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PressTV

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