Omar Ramadhan,left sells snacks to musilms outside a mosque. The snacks are usually taken by the muslim faithful the marking of the holy month of Ramadhan. (Photo Courtesy Julius Mwelu/IRIN)

Nairobi — With the start of Ramadan - the Islamic holy month characterized by fasting - residents of Mogadishu are facing a difficult economic situation as well as the prospect of more fighting and shelling, say civil society sources.

"The economic situation in which most residents find themselves is appalling," a civil society activist, who requested anonymity, told IRIN on 12 August. "Many cannot afford to buy the basic necessities, but the biggest factor this Ramadan is fear as it has become normal practice for the warring parties to increase fighting during Ramadan."

The upsurge in fighting between government troops and Islamist insurgents makes it "nearly impossible for most people to go out", he said, adding that most of those affected were people who could cope the least. "These are the daily labourers, the women who have to clean homes or businesses or the men doing odd jobs."

He said the prices of basic foods had gone up by 30 percent since last week and may rise even more.

He appealed to Somalis in the diaspora to increase their support this month: "If you were supporting one family, add one more this month. They have no one else."

Already, he said, the fighting had rendered many areas of the city inaccessible to those who could help affected families.

Safety first

Asho Abdi, a mother of six in the Somali capital, said prices of food and other commodities had gone up in the markets, limiting her purchasing power.

"Our income can only go so far and these traders don't care," she said.

However, Abdi's main worry was safety. "Every time I go to the market I don't know whether I will return to my children; I have to tell them who to call and what to do if I don't return," she said. "That is every day. That is our life. I wish they would stop fighting at least for this month and give us some relief."

She said both the government and the insurgents claimed to be Muslims but "we are also Muslims, please spare us".

Supply squeeze

Fadumo*, a trader in the city, told IRIN the reason prices were rising was limited supplies.

"Many of the big traders have left and those who remain are not bringing in goods because of the difficulties of dealing with different groups," she said. Sugar, oil and flour "have risen up to 30 per cent but rice and other items rose about 20 percent not more".

She added that both the government and insurgents wanted to apply a tax and "even after you have gone through this your goods are not safe from their bombardments. Who wants to invest in this?"

For years now, Mogadishu has been the battleground between troops loyal to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), backed by African Union peacekeepers, and two Islamist insurgent groups, one being Al-Shabab, which now controls much of south and central Somalia.

Fadumo urged the parties to the conflict to call a ceasefire, "at least through the holy month of Ramadan, so people can worship in peace".

However, the activist said he saw no chance of that. "The insurgents think that if they don't continue fighting the government will view it as a weakness or it will allow government forces to organize," the source said.

The government, for its part, feels it has to defend itself from the insurgents and push back, he said, adding that "it is a vicious cycle and the population is the main loser even during Ramadan".

*Not her real name

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]