Increase In Injured Somalian Children

Innocent civilians bear the brunt of the conflict as the government and insurgents battle each other for control of the capital Mogadishu. Every week, tens of people are injured in shelling across civilian areas. Most of the victims die on the way while the lucky ones manage to reach a hospital for urgent treatment.

However, the concern is that the majority of the injured in recent weeks have been children as the government troops backed by African Union troop’s battle Al Shabaab for control of Mogadishu.

Banaadir Hospital is one of the three main hospitals in Mogadishu. Other health facilities in the capital have poor infrastructure and resources and cannot cope with the overwhelming number of victims.

According to World Health Organization in 2011, over 5,000 war-wounded were reported by the three main hospitals in Mogadishu. In the month of May, almost 1,600 patients were admitted with weapon-related injuries. Half of the injured were children.