Somalia

Year-end Overview

Plan Overview

Working environment

 
The operational context in Somalia continues to be characterized by political and security instability, especially in southern and central Somalia, low economy, limited livelihood opportunities and environmental degradation coupled with severe droughts, which continue to drastically affect the lives of the entire Somalia population, including refugees and asylum-seekers, returnees and IDPs. The successful presidential elections held in February 2017 are seen as an opportunity for the country to embark on a new and more positive trajectory.
 
Despite complexity and challenges of the protection and operational environment, UNHCR will continue delivering its mandate through ensuring the provision of protection and assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, returnees and IDPs. Depending on the security situation and absorption capacity in return areas, UNHCR will continue to provide return and reintegration assistance to Somali returnees from Kenya, Yemen and other host countries, and enhance reintegration projects benefiting both people of concern and host communities.
 
The Government of Somalia is expected to implement and remain committed to the National Development Plan, including the components relating to the reintegration of IDPs and refugee returnees. The Government has stated that the creation of investment, education and employment opportunities is essential for ensuring livelihoods and the political and security stabilization of the country, as well as the sustainable return and reintegration of refugees and IDPs. This includes implementation of the mechanisms addressing land and property issues at regional and local levels.
 
UNHCR will continue working with UN Agencies, state government institutions, regional administrations and NGO partners, and will further strengthen engagement with development actors and regional government institutions to advocate for increased longer-term development projects in key sectors such as infrastructure, education, housing, livelihood and employment and institution-building for sustainable return and reintegration of refugee returnees and IDPs.  
 

Key priorities

 
In 2018, UNHCR will focus on:

• Providing life-saving protection and assistance including durable solutions initiatives for people of concern, through strengthening of the administrative institutions, regional legal and policy frameworks (where applicable), and practices relevant to refugee protection;
• Promoting the self-reliance and economic inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers through focus on livelihoods and education initiatives whilst targeting new arrivals and the most vulnerable with financial assistance programmes;
• Ensuring sustainable return, continued monitoring of conditions in areas of return and regular updating and sharing of the country of origin information with relevant offices in the region. Upon return, UNHCR will continue providing individual and household level assistance.
• Continuing post-return monitoring and promoting community-based and peaceful coexistence initiatives, as well as reintegration programming at scale in collaboration with inter-agency and Government partners using an area-based approach based on analysis and assessments of the impact of returns on host communities and post-returns monitoring results;
• Implementation of area-based durable solutions initiatives in line with the National Development Plan and the CRRF as well as with the in-country Durable Solutions Initiative frameworks. This last framework will include increasing the protection environment through the adoption of national policy frameworks specific, in particular to IDPs.