Almotamar.net - The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) urged donors Tuesday to offer $40 million to help people fleeing fighting in Somalia amidst fears from continuation of refugee for a period no less than 18 months.

The UNHCR office in Sana'a estimated the number of Somali refuges whose number is now 312 thousand persons to rise to 478 thousand persons by the end of 2008.

Spokeswoman for the UNHCR office told reporters "We expect the number to increase and that is attributed in part of it that we hope to improve the refugees getting assistance and because we expect increase in numbers of the homeless."

The UNHCR said it expects increase in number of the displaced inside the country from 500 thousand to 528 thousand by the end of 2008 and that les than half of the $48 million in aid would be allocated to the displaced inside Somalia.

The UNHCR expected the increase of the numbed of refugees in East Africa countries or those who crossed the Red Sea to Yemen since beginning of this year from 62 thousand to 78 thousand by the end of 2008.

Yemen is considered one of the main countries that suffer from then increase in Somali refugees migration to it and official statistics mention that there are 750 Somali refugees in Yemen.