Gedo, Jubbaland – More than 100,000 people have been displaced in Somalia’s Hiiraan and Gedo regions due to ongoing conflict, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.
In Hiiraan, Al-Shabaab militants launched a surprise assault on Mahas town, successfully seizing control and forcing thousands of civilians to flee. The extremist group reportedly overpowered local forces, prompting mass evacuations as residents sought safety in surrounding villages and remote areas.
Meanwhile, in Gedo region, intense clashes between federal and Jubbaland regional forces have triggered a separate wave of displacement. The ongoing power struggle between the rival sides has left civilians caught in the crossfire, with many fleeing across the border into neighboring Mandera County, Kenya.
Humanitarian agencies warn that the sudden influx of displaced families is straining resources and exacerbating an already fragile situation in both Somalia and Mandera. OCHA has called for urgent humanitarian access and assistance, noting that the displaced urgently require food, shelter, and medical care.
These developments come amid broader insecurity in central and southern Somalia, where conflict, climate shocks, and political tensions continue to uproot communities and undermine stability.