NAIROBI, 14. April 2009: Some 60.000 civilians have returned to Mogadishu since the start of 2009 amid a relative lull in fighting in the Somali capital in the first three months of the year. Fresh conflict in late March between an armed opposition group and government forces displaced some 1.200 people. This is according to unhcr.org.
Most of those returning to Mogadishu this year have been coming from settlements for internally displaced people in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions in south-central Somalia, and Hiraan, Galgaduud and Mudug regions in central Somalia. They are returning mainly to the districts of Yaaqshiid, Wardhiigleey, Heliwaa and Hawl Wadaag in north-east Mogadishu.
UNHCR has also reports of 2.200 returnees from Kenya, 300 from Yemen and 20 from Ethiopia, as well as a mixed group of some 900 refugees and forced returnees from Saudi Arabia.
The returnees are facing multiple problems, including the lack of adequate shelter. Many houses in the neighbourhoods of return were destroyed in the heavy fighting that took place in Mogadishu in the last two years.
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