Stock Photo - 1981 - Refugee Problem Worsens In Somalia: Inflation, food and fuel shortages, food theft and problems of aid distribution have combined to Worsen Somalia's already Chronic problem. The Somali Government, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and a host of Church and non-denominational charities have been straggling to alleviate the disaster resulting from years of drought, war and economic decline. No one knows the exact number of refugees already in the camps. The Somali Government's National Refugee Commission estimated 1.2 million in December 1980.If the rains fail this figure could reach 1.6 million by the end of the year. But nomadic populations are very hard to monitor. It is believed that there are perhaps 700,000 semi-refugees wandering around inside the Somalia, with up to 1 million more to come from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. Somalia is one of the world's poorest nations, barely able to support its indigenous population of 3.5 million, and totally unequipped to cope with the influx.These pictures by journalist Arthurz jones, who has recently returned from SOmalia, show refugees and belief workers in the Ban Mandule and Ali Metan cdamps near laug in western somalla. The new arrivals are weighed and measured. Those who reach less than 80% of the norm on the third world scale for defining undernourshment are placed on a special vitamin - enriched supplementary diet of skimmed milk porridge. The camp dwellers at least have a guarante of daily food and medical serivce, and rudimenary shelter. In the current services it is feared that for the majority it will be their home for the rest of their lives. Picture shows Refugee children in Ban Mandule Camp W. Somalia. (Credit Image: © Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com)