Somalia remains in the chokehold of a severe, protracted drought.
Hundreds of Thousands of Drought-Impacted Somalis Flee to Cities
Somalia is now well into its third consecutive season of a severe drought that, in the last seven months alone, has forced more than 760,000 people to flee their homes in search of food and water. Most come from areas controlled by Al-Shabaab or other non-state armed groups, places where the government and humanitarian agencies have limited to no access. The town of Baidoa, retaken from Al-Shabaab in 2012 and now marginally under state control, has become the only means of survival for much of the rural population across the country’s drought-stricken, south central region.
Testimony by Eric Schwartz on the Four Famines
Refugees International’s Eric Schwartz testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development and Multilateral Institutions.
Surviving Somalia’s Current Drought
Somalia is again in the throes of another drought that by many accounts is worse than the last. Thankfully, greater government control and a prompt humanitarian response by the government and aid agencies have saved lives, but the scale of displacement is enormous. More than 760,000 Somalis have been displaced across the country since November 2016, 160,000 of them to Mogadishu. Here they are struggling to access assistance and protection in a dangerous and volatile environment.
NGO Letter to Congress on Supplemental Funding to Respond to Famines
As 43 organizations working on humanitarian and development issues in some of the world’s poorest countries, we write to ask for your support in providing an additional $1 billion in supplemental funding for fiscal year 2017 in order to adequately respond to famine and famine-like conditions across four countries.
Refugee Returns from Kenya to Somalia: “This is About Fear… Not About Choice”
The Kenyan government’s threat to close the Dadaab refugee camp by the end of November would cause irreparable harm and damage.
Kenyan decision to close refugee camps potentially puts hundreds of thousands at risk
Earlier today, the Kenyan government issued a deeply troubling statement on the closure of Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. Citing national security concerns, Ministry of Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Eng Karanja Kibicho announced that “hosting of refugees has come to an end.” The statement is a major blow to the most basic fundamentals of refugee rights.
Food Security and Displacement in a Warming World
Climate change poses serious threats to agriculture and food security globally. Its impacts on agriculture include, but are not limited to, heat waves, pests, drought, desertification, freshwater decline, and biodiversity loss. The global poor, who are most dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, are most vulnerable to climate change impacts on agriculture.
Making Ends Meet in Dadaab
Ja’far Abdikadir* is a shoe shiner in Dagahaley. He has been working for a couple of years as the breadwinner for a desperate family comprising of a mother and siblings. Ja’far at the age of 13 years simultaneously manages to go to school and work as a shoe shiner. The latter is the only source…
Disable And Displaced: The Plight Of Somalia’s Most Vulnerable
Despite the overwhelming local and international aid organizations working in southern and central Somalia, there is not a single one dedicated to supporting disabled people, only small, self-organized groups of disabled people advocating for their rights