International humanitarian medical organization on Monday warned of health risks posed by rotting bodies littering the streets of Somalia's capital Mogadishu as thousands of civilians flee the city to escape fighting.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, the Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) called for warring parties in the war-ravaged nation to cease fire to avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

"MSF demands that all parties involved in the conflict respect the medical humanitarian action that is being carried out in the outpatient clinic in Yaqshid and the cholera treatment center in Forlanini, which has treated 1,166 people for cholera since March 19," the statement said.

"With so few medical facilities available in Mogadishu it is crucial that people are able to access those that are still functioning. MSF also wants to recognize the dedication and determination of its Somali staff who are working to ensure that our medical facilities in Mogadishu stay open despite the insecurity and at great personal risk," it said.

The health agency's statement came as Somalis fled heavy shelling for a six day in Mogadishu on Monday as the transitional government and its Ethiopian allies pursued a campaign to rid off the insurgents in the capital.

More than 300 people have reportedly been killed and 700 wounded in the past five days. Many of those displaced were heading to Ceel Macaan in the east of the city, Bal'ad in the north, Dayniile in the west and Afgoye to the south.

Somali government officials have maintained that there would be not let up in the latest clashes until the Ethiopian-backed government crushed armed resistance by remnants of the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) who were ousted from Mogadishu in January.

"The security operation will continue until the city is cleared of all extremists and the government is in full control of the city," Salad Ali Jelled, the deputy defense minister, said on Monday. He called on civilians in affected areas to move out and " find safer areas until this is over."

The UN refugee agency said about half a million people have fled Mogadishu, thousands seeking shelter under trees or sleeping in the open in nearby towns and villages.

According to UNHCR, at least 321,000 people have fled Mogadishu since February. Of these, about 111,000 people have headed to the nearby Shabelle provinces, 109,000 people to Galgadud region, 24, 000 to Hiran and another 14,000 elsewhere.

"On the first day of the distribution on Thursday, UNHCR and its Somali NGO partners were able to reach 1,500 families, or about 9,000 people," said the UN refugee agency in a news release. "All of them were living outdoors under trees or simply out in the open."

The Horn of Africa nation has been without a functioning government for more than 15 years.

Source: Xinhua