The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has expressed concern Friday about the humanitarian impact of the fighting in the town of Las Anod, where more than 200 deaths have been recorded in recent weeks.
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Magatte Guisse, called for restraint and recalled that force «should only be used in accordance with applicable international law, norms and standards,» including human rights and international humanitarian law, he said in a statement.
It also called for »respect» for humanitarian and medical workers, for medical facilities and services, and for the wounded and sick to be allowed to receive the medical care required by their condition, without discrimination.
According to UN data, between December 28 and February 28, 2022, at least 80 people were killed and 451 others were wounded among those not fighting, including medical personnel. Thus, with the fighting now in its fourth week, more than 185,000 people have been displaced and a multitude of hospitals have been damaged, jeopardizing access to essential care for the wounded.
The recent fighting erupted on February 6 in Las Anod, the administrative center of the Sool region between Somaliland forces and militia groups after local leaders represented in the so-called Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions Salvation and Unity Authority (SSC) declared their intention to rejoin federal Somalia.
Somali authorities declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has not gained wide international recognition for its status and has faced opposition from some clan elders in disputed areas along its border with Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland state.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
