UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Somalia are warning that US airstrikes on areas controlled by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda offshoot and the most successful fundamentalist organization in Africa, are exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in the region.
Last year, 320,000 people were displaced due to violent events including airstrikes, which was the highest number in four years. Even though the US army claims that the airstrikes, which started in 2007, never targeted civilians, locals are disputing this.
Read more: U.S. Bombardments Are Driving Somalis From Their Homes