MOGADISHU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Over 342,000 individuals have been uprooted from their homes in Somalia since January 2024, thrust into uncertainty by conflict, climate woes, and rampant insecurity, as per the latest briefing from the United Nations refugee agency.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-led Protection and Monitoring Returns Network disclosed that a significant 23,000 were displaced just in August. Among these, 43 percent were forced to flee due to clashes, instability, and natural calamities like floods or droughts.
“Urgent requirements for the newly uprooted include essentials such as food, shelter, livelihoods, water, and healthcare,” stated the UNHCR. The regions of Bari, Bay, Middle Juba, Gedo, and Lower Juba have seen the largest influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs), hosting 66 percent of the total displacements.
The briefing underscored the vulnerability of women and children, who form 80 percent of the dislocated populace. Enhanced protection efforts are critical for these groups.
Several factors fuel the insecurity haunting Somalia: armed skirmishes between Somali forces and al-Shabab militants, clan disputes, and indiscriminate attacks, leading to a volatile and unpredictable national climate.
In a bid to bolster ongoing peace efforts, the African Union greenlit the AU Support and Stabilization Mission, set to replace the current African Transition Mission in Somalia by 2025. “This transition is pivotal for lasting peace and robust security operations,” the UNHCR remarked.
Additionally, Somalia is a refuge for 40,200 refugees and asylum seekers, with women and children accounting for a substantial 66 percent. School-age children (6-17 years) make up 30 percent, while 26 percent are women and girls in their reproductive years (13-49 years).
Among the refugee group, Ethiopians form the majority (65 percent), trailed by Yemenis (30 percent), Syrians (4 percent), and other nationalities (1 percent).
Since December 2014, 139,260 former refugees have journeyed back to Somalia from their asylum countries, predominantly from Kenya and Yemen. Out of these returnees, 95,206 have received direct assistance, primarily through voluntary repatriation from Kenya and assisted spontaneous returns from Yemen.
