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UNHCR Somalia Factsheet - April 2014

Countries
Somalia
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UNHCR
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Operation Highlights

The number of refugees from Somalia – about 1 million – is the third highest in the world after Afghanistan and Syria

UNHCR leads protection and emergency relief interventions targeting 700,000 IDPs out of a total IDP population estimated at 1.1 million and over 2,300 refugees in Somalia.

As at April 9, 2014 there were 956, 066 Somali refugees in the region; mainly hosted in Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Tanzania and Uganda and over 1.1 million Somalis internally displaced within the country, settled mainly in the South-Central region.

Over 5,200 Somalis have sought refuge in neighboring countries since the start of 2014. In the month of March, 28,000 movements were reported in different areas in Somalia due to cross-border movements, IDP eviction, forced return, insecurity, lack of livelihood and clan conflict. The major cause of displacement is the ongoing military offensive.

Assisted IDP Returns

In 2014, the Durable Solutions Unit intends to assist approximately 15, 000 voluntarily returning ID households to either undertake the journey back to their areas of origin or integrate with their local host communities. This is a higher figure than those assisted in 2013, which totalled about 11, 000 households. The main areas of return are Bay, Lower Shabelle, Gedo Middle Shabelle and Hiran, with the moves scheduled to take place between March and December 2014. The ongoing military offensive may impact the IDP returns process.

In line with providing durable solutions for returning IDPs, UNHCR together with the Somali National Federal Government has established the Somalia Solutions Platform. This Platform is aimed at defining a strategic solution-oriented strategy in support to the safe and sustainable return and reintegration of these people of concern. The Platform will also define its approach in the contribution to peacebuilding and conflict prevention through local integration initiatives and projects. The Somalia Solutions Platform is part of an umbrella strategy for refugee returns in the Horn of Africa Region.