The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday that hundreds of Somali refugees who fled heavy fighting in the capital of Mogadishu are stranded in the south in a desperate condition.

The Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said tens of thousands of those fleeing are suffering from atrocious conditions with some under trees without accommodation.

"Most of those fleeing from Mogadishu have gone to the adjacent Shabelle region to the southwest in an exodus which our partners say is comparable to the mass movement which followed the fall of the Siad Barre regime and the ensuing civil war in Somalia more than 15 years ago," UNHCR said in a statement.

Nearly 100,000 Somalis are now believed to have fled Mogadishu since the beginning of February -- some 47,000 of them within the last two weeks alone.

"These figures are expected to rise as more people flee Mogadishu to outlying areas despite a lull in fighting reported on Monday," it said.

The UN agency said an extra 2,000 Somalis have gathered near the border of Kenya after trekking from Mogadishu without food, medicine and a supply of fresh water.

UNHCR said the insecurity in Mogadishu has curtailed humanitarian access to the capital and surrounding regions, making the plight of civilians all the more desperate.

Most of those fleeing from the insecure Somali capital to the Shabelle region are women and children traveling on small vehicles, trucks or buses.

"Some are using wheelbarrows while others have resorted to donkey carts or are simply traveling on foot. Some families have left weak, sick or elderly family members behind in Mogadishu," it said.

Roads leading out of Mogadishu, in particular the road linking Mogadishu and Afgooye, are said to be congested.

Rents have soared throughout the Shabelle region, making it almost impossible for people to find accommodation, the UN refugee agency said.

In areas near Afgooye, people are queuing for more than 12 hours for water, as available boreholes are unable to meet the current demand where the price of 20 liters of water in some of these areas has increased twentyfold -- from the equivalent of 0.07 U.S. cents to 1.33 dollars.

"Many people are now drinking untreated water from the Shabelle River, raising fears of an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera," said the UNHCR.

"With scarce resources in the Shabelle region and deteriorating conditions in the already overcrowded towns and villages in the area, people are making their way further west away from Mogadishu."

A ceasefire between Ethiopian troops and insurgents has held for a second day in Mogadishu on Tuesday as hospitals battle to treat victims of the four-days fighting.

A committee of elders from the Hawiye clan is set to hold talks with Ethiopian commanders.

The latest developments came as U.S.-led International Contact Group for Somalia sets to meet in the Egyptian capital of Cairo where diplomats plan to push for reconciliation among the warring parties.

The group, which includes the United States and countries from Africa and Europe, will also discuss plans for Somali national reconciliation conference set for later this month.

Source: Xinhua