Osob Elmi

Heavy fighting continues in Las Anod, a city in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, with medics telling the BBC they are struggling to cope amid the chaos.

“There are only five ambulances working – they are not sufficient,” the director of Las Anod Manhal Hospital, Dr Abdi Majeed, told the BBC.

He was speaking on the second day of fighting between the Somaliland military and what has been described as militias belonging to clans who are pushing for the area to rejoin Somalia.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not been internationally recognised. Las Anod borders Puntland, which is part of Somalia.

“We have had 30 casualties and one dead person today, this is only one hospital you can imagine the rest of the hospitals in Somaliland. We are expecting the numbers to go up,” said Dr Majeed.

“Many houses have been devastated and the victims are more today than there were yesterday.”

He said those that tried to use their own cars to rescue the injured risked being targeted in the clashes.

“It’s hard to keep safe while you’re trying to save people,” he said.

A humanitarian worker, who requested anonymity for their safety, said their colleagues were working “around the clock” to make sure patients were treated when they arrived at the emergency rooms.

Many civilians have fled the city. Zaynab told the BBC she had left Las Anod with her six children on Monday afternoon: “My youngest is a year old, we couldn’t bare the shelling, we took small clothes, we even left our shoes.”

She said they had reached the town of Ade Adeeye about 50km (30 miles) north-west of Las Anod.

“There is no food or water, the only thing is there is no shelling.”

Nimco told the BBC about how she had walked barefoot until a car offered to give her and a group of people a lift to the nearest village on Monday.

“We are struggling, we have nothing, it’s so hard leaving your home and being displaced. We don’t know where to go from here.”

Source: BBC