BARDHERE, Somalia Apr 5 (Garowe Online) - At least 12 people have died from watery diarrhea in a small town in southwestern Somalia, which is ill-equipped to fight the disease, town officials said.

Mohamed Hersi Dudi, the mayor of Bardhere, a town in Gedo region, told local media that 60 other people have been suffering from the disease since last week.

He called on international aid agencies to help people suffering from the ailment, since the town of Bardhere does not have a functioning general hospital.

A local journalist said there is a privately-owned hospital in town, but cited a general shortage of medicine needed to treat watery diarrhea.

Somalia's last effective government collapsed in 1991, when warlords overthrew a military dictator and plunged the country into years of anarchy.

General health service centers are in terrible condition, except for centers owned by private citizens that charge fees for medical services.

Source: Garowe Online