Global Overview 2012: People internally displaced by conflict and violence - Somalia

Somalia has experienced two decades of armed conflict, recurrent severe droughts, fragile government institutions and deteriorating humanitarian conditions. It has moved increasingly into the geopolitical spotlight, becoming an epicentre for security and political shockwaves in the Horn of Africa. It has, however, made significant progress with some areas, particularly the capital Mogadishu, becoming more peaceful.

The country's eight-year transitional period came to end in 2012, the first federal parliament in more than 20 years was sworn in and a new president was elected. Famine conditions in southern Somalia were declared to be over, thanks in large part to an exceptional harvest and the delivery of aid under highly challenging conditions.

Despite these achievements, between 1.1 million and 1.36 million Somalis were still living in internal displacement as of December 2012. UNHCR and its partners estimated that there were around 920,000 IDPs in south-central Somalia, 130,000 in Puntland and 84,000 in Somaliland. Most of the people identified as displaced are believed to have fled armed conflict or generalised violence, and many have done so a number of times. Drought has also led to displacement, particularly of pastoralists. The majority of IDPs are from Mogadishu and the surrounding area, and many have taken refuge in informal settlements around Afgoye.

Ongoing military operations caused new displacements during 2012. In February, Kenyan and Somali troops forced al-Shabaab militants out of the town of Baidoa, displacing around 7,500 people in the process. In May, around 18,000 IDPs reportedly fled fighting in Afgoye when the AU military mission AMISOM and Somali troops captured the town. Kismayo, the last major city held by al-Shabaab, fell to AU and government forces in September, leading to the displacement of more than 15,000 people. Fighting between various armed groups and localised violence over water and pasture also continued to cause new displacements. Although insecurity remained a challenge, Somalia witnessed an increase in return movements in 2012. It is estimated that more than 32,000 IDPs returned to their areas of origin, particularly to areas considered relatively safe.

Despite some progress towards the achievement of durable solutions for protracted IDPs in Puntland and Somaliland, the displaced population in Somalia as a whole remains vulnerable and faces food insecurity and a wide range of protection problems. The protracted armed conflicts have been characterised by a lack of accountability, with violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses committed by all parties. They have reportedly attacked IDP camps, perpetrated widespread sexual and other gender-based violence, forcibly recruited internally displaced children and fought each other near civilian settlements. IDPs' health situation remained critical in 2012 with most outbreaks of contagious diseases coming in areas hosting displaced people. Developments such as increased security, an improving economy and urban migration led to an increase in forced evictions of IDPs in urban centres across the country such as Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Bosaso. A number of the most vulnerable victims were unable to seek refuge elsewhere because of their limited resources.

Somalia had signed but not ratified the Kampala Convention as of the end of 2012. The country has no national legal or policy framework on internal displacement yet, but the authorities in Puntland adopted a policy on IDPs, and the Somaliland administration was in the process of developing one.

International humanitarian access was better in Somaliland and Puntland than in south-central Somalia, where local businesses and national civil society organisations were the main providers of assistance to IDPs. Access gradually improved during 2012, but the country has long presented a challenging operating environment for international agencies. The fighting and deliberate obstruction by some parties to the conflict continued to restrict IDPs' access to assistance and protection severely, and to undermine aid workers' personal safety.

In December 2012 a CAP humanitarian appeal for Somalia was launched in the country for the first time. The appeal covered three years instead of the usual one, in an effort not only to target immediate humanitarian needs, but to enhance resilience and address the protracted nature of the crisis in the country. The three-year timeframe also allows for greater continuity in programming and creates an opportunity to make the impact of humanitarian action more sustainable.