Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have fled their homes over the past three years of violence involving hardline Islamist movements and many more in total over the country's 18 years of almost uninterrupted civil chaos.

Rome (AFP) Sept 21, 2009 – Drought, conflict and displacement are causing the worst humanitarian crisis in war-torn Somalia in 18 years, the UN food agency warned Monday. Some 3.6 million people, about half the Somali population, need emergency aid including 1.3 million people displaced by fighting in the Horn of Africa country, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a statement. Around 1.4 million Somali farmers face a severe drought, while some 655,000 poor urban dwellers face high prices for basic food staples, the FAO said. … The number of people depending on food aid in the region — currently nearly 20 million — “may increase as the hunger season progresses, particularly among marginal farmers, pastoralists and low-income urban dwellers,” the FAO said. “Below-average rains combined with conflict and displacement are aggravating an already serious food insecurity situation in the region,” it said. …

Somalia faces worst food crisis in 18 years: UN