© UNHCR/Assadullah Nasrullah

Somalia remains the epicentre of one of the world’s largest displacement crises.

 

Around 1 million Somalis are registered as refugees in the Horn of Africa and Yemen region while an estimated 1.1 million men, women and children are displaced within the country.

 

The impact of nearly two and a half decades of armed conflict is compounded by recurrent natural hazards, notably drought, that challenge the resilience and the coping mechanisms of Somalia’s the most vulnerable citizens.

News and stories about Somalia

Somali student proves it's never too late to learn in Malaysia

Nawa first stepped into a classroom at age 16, but caught up quickly. Now 20, she is getting ready for university and setting an example for other refugees.

15 Sep 2016

In Kenya, UNHCR chief assured refugee return will not contravene international obligations

Calls for massive investment in stable parts of Somalia to enable more refugees to return.

12 Jun 2016

Slovakia receives 37 Somalis from camps in Eritrea

UNHCR has helped resettle a total of 281 Somali refugees so far this year

2 May 2016

An Olympic dream, shattered

The life of Somali sprinter Samia Yusuf Omar came to a tragic end on the perilous Mediterranean sea crossing from Libya to Europe.

11 Apr 2016

Call to prayer helps dentist's Muslim patients feel at home

Somali dentist, once a refugee herself, fills in the gaps for new arrivals in Norway.

3 Mar 2016

UNHCR battles cholera at world's largest refugee complex

Four cholera treatment centres have been set up to curb the outbreak that has so far killed 10 at Kenya's Dadaab complex.

31 Dec 2015

More support needed for Somali refugees going back home from Kenya

Nearly 5,000 Somali refugees from Kenya's Dadaab camps have returned home since December 2014 and a further 4,500 have signed up to go back

16 Oct 2015

One war forced a family to flee Somalia, and now another has forced them to return

A Somali family returns to Puntland after 15 years in Yemen, fleeing the country where they had gone in search of protection.

14 Sep 2015

Student returns to Somalia with dream of becoming a doctor

Student returns to Somalia with dream of becoming a doctor

3 Sep 2015

Return to Somalia: No longer a refugee

Flight takes one hour but for most on board is a journey of a life-time.

7 Aug 2015

More than 100 Somali refugees arrive home in Mogadishu from Kenya

Two planes carrying 116 refugees mark start of new chapter in voluntary return process.

5 Aug 2015

Talented Somali refugee dreams of new life in America to honour slain father who set up Picasso art school

In June 2009, gunmen shot dead his father, co-founder of the Picasso art school in Mogadishu.

27 Jul 2015

UNHCR chief visits Somali port of Kismayo, meets refugee returnees

António Guterres says emphasis is not to push people to go back, but to create conditions for sustainable return and reintegration in Somalia.

12 May 2015

UNHCR urges Kenyan government rethink on Dadaab closure announcement

UNHCR ready to work even more closely with Kenya to strengthen law enforcement at Dadaab and support other measures to protect refugees and Kenyans alike.

14 Apr 2015

Innovation: Instant Network Schools open up a new world for Somali refugees

Students at the 13 solar-powered ICT centres use Internet-enabled tablets to help them learn and study. Teachers use interactive whiteboards as a vital class aid.

4 Feb 2015

A safe Romanian pit stop on the road to resettlement

For a young Somali man, the Emergency Transit Centre in Timisoara, Romania, was the first breath of freedom after almost a lifetime in refugee camps.

13 Jan 2015

UN chief Ban Ki-moon lauds Somali refugees in Dadaab camp

During a tour of Ifo 2 camp, the UN chief calls the situation in the Dadaab refugee complex a man-made tragedy that would never have happened had leaders listened more to their people.

30 Oct 2014

Innovation: UNHCR and Vodafone bring tablet-based learning to 18,000 Somali refugees

Almost 400 teachers will be trained to provide tablet-based education programmes to some 18,000 young people at 13 instant network centres across Dadaab camp.

9 Oct 2014