2.9 MLN INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN SOMALIA IN 2023: UNHCR

Sat 27 January 2024:

In Somalia, some 2.9 million people were internally displaced in 2023 as a result of drought, conflict, or instability, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

Of the 2.9 million displaced people, the UNHCR reported that 57% were affected by flooding, 25% by conflict or insecurity, and 18% by drought.

In its most recent operational report, which was made public on Tuesday night, the UNHCR stated that “many parts of the country remain inaccessible because of conflict and insecurity.”

It said the operating environment in Somalia is complex as decades of conflict and insecurity, political tensions, clan dynamics, and climate change have resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

According to the UNHCR, the Somali National Army and its security partners continued their military campaigns against the non-state armed group which resulted in the deaths and displacement of innocent bystanders, it said.

The UN refugee agency noted that due to disputes over the election schedule, political hostilities remained high in Puntland in northeastern Somalia.

Over 2.4 million people were affected by flooding during the October–December 2023 rainy season, and over a million were relocated, according to the Somali Disaster Management Agency.

Due to a combination of El Nino conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole phenomenon, the excessive seasonal rains, flash floods, and riverine floods were especially severe in 2023. This led to numerous casualties, property damage, loss of access to essential services, and additional displacement, among other things.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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