GENEVA - The UN refugee agency says thousands of Somalis are preparing to cross the Gulf of Aden to Yemen after fleeing fighting around the capital of Mogadishu.
The Geneva-based UNHCR says 12,000 civilians have taken shelter in the northern Somali town of Bossasso since early May.
UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond says most are waiting for smugglers to take them across the perilous waters of the Gulf to Yemen, where 30,000 Somalis have already fled this year.
He says more than 300 people have died or gone missing this year while attempting the crossing.
Redmond told reporters Tuesday that overall some 232,000 Somalis have fled their homes since May 7 because of fighting between government forces and Islamist groups.
