ICRC : Over 90 casualties admitted by hospital after Mogadishu blast

Following the bomb explosion in Mogadishu Tuesday morning, over 90 people injured by the blast were admitted to the city's Medina Hospital, a facility supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). According to a press release issued by the ICRC, among the casualties were at least five women and nine children. All had been in the area where the bomb exploded, close to a government building in the central part of the city. Many suffered burns and fractures. Some 15 were released shortly after their admission. Some of the others are currently undergoing surgery. Doctors and nurses are working around the clock. The ICRC and the Somali Red Crescent Society again remind all warring parties that they must comply with international humanitarian law, in particular by taking constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare the civilian population. The parties must distinguish at all times between civilians and fighters. They must not employ indiscriminate means and methods of warfare. Medical staff, hospitals and clinics must be respected and protected in all circumstances. The ICRC has supported Medina Hospital since 2000. The organization regularly provides the facility as well as Keysaney Hospital, the other referral hospital in Mogadishu, with surgical equipment, medicines and training for doctors and nurses. Since the beginning of the year, more than 4,000 patients with weapon-related injuries have been treated in both facilities.