Geneva (ICRC) - The population of Mogadishuis caught up in the worst fighting in more than 15 years. Following the intensification of the conflict on Thursday morning, scores of people have been killed and hundreds of wounded have been admitted to the hospitals and other medical facilities of Somalia's capital. Many others have been unable to access medical care. Most of the 229 wounded admitted to Keysaney and Medinahospitals during the past 24 hours of conflict were civilians, including women and children. Thousands of people are fleeing their homes, which further exposes them to the fighting.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deplores the high number of civilian casualties. It urgently calls on all parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law and take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and their property. Medical staff, hospitals and clinics must be spared and protected in all circumstances and the dead must be disposed of in a respectful manner.

"For the time being the capital's two hospitals are still able to cope with the influx of wounded, but we plan to re-supply them as soon the security situation allows," said Alexandre Liebeskind, deputy head of operations for the Horn of Africa. The ICRC regularly delivers medical and surgical supplies to these hospitals, which have admitted over 1,000 war-wounded since the beginning of the year.

The ICRC has been providing humanitarian aid for the Somali population since 1977, working closely together with the Somali Red Crescent Society.

For further information, please contact:

Pédram Yazdi, ICRC Nairobi, tel. +254 20 2723 963 or +254 722 51 81 42

Nicole Engelbrecht, ICRC Nairobi, tel. +254 20 2723 963 or +254 722 51 27 28

Murielle Gras, ICRC Geneva, tel. + 41 22 730 24 58