A popular Somali aid worker, described by her colleagues as a champion of the vulnerable and disadvantaged, has died after she was hit by a stray bullet while distributing food at camp for the displaced on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Madina Mahamud Ilmi, a mother of nine in her late 50s, was seriously wounded in the accident on 15 November and died the next day at the Medina hospital, her colleague Abdullahi Shirwa told IRIN.

Ilmi, popularly known as "Madina General", was a prominent civil society personality in the Somali capital.

Asha Ugas Shaour, a member of Mogadishu's civil society groups, said Ilmi "always spoke up for those could not speak for themselves; she was the voice of the voiceless".

"The whole town is saddened by her death," she said.

In the 1990s, to highlight the disillusionment with warlords running the city, Ilmi and 60 other women formed a group called Horseedka Nabada iyo Nolosha (Leaders for Peace and Life) to advocate a peaceful resolution to Somalia's civil war.

Shaour, a founder member, said the group also set up a support system for thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the city.

A local journalist, who requested anonymity, said Ilmi was “never afraid” of the dangers of her work.

“She had this attitude that what will happen, will happen. It is what you do when you are here that matters,” he said. "It was fitting that she was killed while doing what she liked most, helping those who could not help themselves."

The UN Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator, Eric Laroche, expressed his sadness at Ilmi's death.

"She was present at the epicentre of the unfolding emergency, assisting an aid distribution to her displaced compatriots, when she was hit by a stray bullet in a tragic accident," Laroche said in a statement issued on 18 November. "Defending vulnerable groups such as the displaced and seeking sustainable peace in Somalia was her vocation."

"Somalia has lost one of its heroines," he added.

Ilmi's brother Isse Mahamud Ilmi told IRIN that the family was overwhelmed by messages of support.

"People are still coming to the house to pay their respect," he said. "We will dedicate ourselves to fulfilling her life's work."