Melbourne, 08/04/2025 (banooda)- According to UNHCR, at the end of 2023, 68.3 million people remained internally displaced due to conflict and violence. An estimated 9.1 million people were displaced within Sudan, the largest internally displaced population ever reported. This was followed by Syria (7.2 million), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.7 million). Somalia is home to the largest number of internally displaced persons globally, with 3.8 million individuals forced to flee their homes due to the interconnected issues of armed conflict, climate catastrophes, and economic vulnerability. Having experienced fragility for decades, Somalia has been consistently challenged by chronic displacement, with new waves arising annually in the aftermath of protracted crises.
As a result of ongoing conflict and drought many people leave from their villages a come to major cities and towns in Somalia and seeking for a better life. Often, it is the combination of conflict and drought that forces people to flee their homes. Most of these people end up in displaced camps with no proper shelter, water, food, health care, energy, sanitation and education for their children. They live in makeshift houses that won’t protect them from sun heat, dust and rain. In certain cities and towns, displaced people must walk for a long distance to fetch water and gather firewood for cooking. Sometimes when it rains, they collect water from surface runoff, natural holes or unpaved truck roads where rainwater remain or sit. Sometimes displaced people don’t eat for days, and if they get one meal in a day, they are lucky.
Many internally displaced people have lived in a state of crisis for years, lacking essential services and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Southwest regions used to be the breadbasket for Somalia, but many farmers fled to big cities and towns due to insecurity and drought that resulted in food scarcity and water, most of water reservoirs are dry because of inadequate of rain fall for the last few years. 90% of rural areas are under the control of Al-Shabaab where people are forced to give or donate 1/3 of their harvest and in addition to this, every 6 months or 12 months farmers are asked to pay zakat (Charitable payment). Their children are compelled to join in Al-Shabaab. If they refuse, parents are severely punished and detained for unknown period. Internal displaced people don’t get assistance and support from governments and few of them receive a small amount of money every month from international organisations. Many of them do blue colour jobs like construction labour, distributing water to residents, cleaning, etc, while adult and young women roam in suburbs looking for a job as a maid or wash clothes and dishes for families, and young boys do odd jobs like shoe shinning, porters, cleaning, etc. Some adults become beggars and roam in the markets, shopping areas, streets and suburbs.
Internally displaced people are one of the major pressing problems in Somalia, and there is no powerful or strong government (state and federal) to address this issue. Unfortunately, these governments are not capable of or in a position to tackle the major causes of the drought and other natural and man-made problems, as well as ongoing conflicts. There are factors that contribute to the drought, which has resulted in food and water shortages.
These factors include less rain due to deforestation, climate change, and global warming. In addition to this, double taxation from the governments and Al-Shabaab discourages farmers from cultivating or farming. Businesspeople discourage farmers from growing sorghum, maize, and beans, which are the main dishes for the local people, and instead, they grow sesame and different types of fruits. Illegal occupation of farmland by people with less farming experience has resulted in less food production.
Soon, we will talk in detail about the major factors that contribute to food and water shortages.
To overcome these problems, the governments must conduct a thorough study and develop effective planning.
Conclusion.
The IDP situation in Somalia is one of the world’s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises. Whereas short-term relief is required to save lives, long-term responses must address the underlying drivers of displacement, which are conflict, climate change, and poverty. A multi-stakeholder response involving the Somali government, international donors, UN agencies, and local communities is critical to the provision of protection, sustainable livelihoods, and durable solutions for IDPs. Failure to act decisively means that millions of Somalis will continue to be stuck in cycles of displacement and vulnerability.
Thank you so much,
Prepared by: Awes Sheikh Muheidin Amin
