Germany increases aid to victims of Somalia violence

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Berlin (dpa) - Germany is to increase its aid to the victims of violence in Somalia by 1 million euros (1.5 million dollars), the Foreign Ministry announced in Berlin Monday.

Describing the humanitarian situation in refugee camps in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya as "catastrophic," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "These people urgently need our help to have the basic necessities to survive."

Steinmeier appealed to those involved to halt the fighting and to allow aid workers free passage.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would receive 700,000 euros for helping Somali refugees in Dadaab in Kenya, the ministry said.

Some 248,000 euros are to be made available to the aid organizations CARE and World Vision in Somalia for assisting displaced persons within the country.

The additional aid raises the German contribution this year to 6.37 million euros.

Two weeks of fighting in Mogadishu have forced around 200,000 residents to flee. The number of internally displaced Somalis is put at around 1 million.

SOURCE: DPA , November 26, 2007

Hiiraan Online