Attachments
KEY MESSAGES
- Clan conflicts in Somalia are escalating as a result of disputes over land, water, and political power, displacing over 250,000 people and killing more than 600 between January 2024 and February 2025. In 2024, the number of reported interclan clashes increased from 90 in 2023 to 168 in 2024, particularly in Gedo, Lower Juba, and Shabelle regions, where deep-rooted historical grievances, resource competition, and political rivalries fuel violence.
- The humanitarian impact of clan conflicts is severe, leading to large-scale displacement, food insecurity, and limited access to essential services. Many IDPs lack adequate shelter, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities.
- The instrumentalisation of humanitarian aid is a persistent challenge, with some individuals leveraging clan loyalty to determine access to aid, services, and employment opportunities. While humanitarian organisations operate under principles of neutrality, gatekeepers and community affiliations can sometimes affect distribution, leading to unequal access and the exclusion of marginalised groups.
- Clan conflicts are expected to persist into 2025, driven by unresolved land disputes, political rivalries, and climate-induced resource scarcity. Rising tensions ahead of the 2026 elections, increased militarisation, and worsening humanitarian conditions will likely escalate violence, displacement, and access challenges for affected communities.
- Clan clashes have affected access to essential services, disrupting healthcare, education, and WASH services. Thousands are without medical care as a result of attacks on health facilities, while school closures and teacher displacement have deprived children of education. At the same time, WASH infrastructure damage has heightened the risk of waterborne diseases, including cholera, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
- In 2023, interclan violence was primarily concentrated in central regions, such as Galgaduud, Hiran, and Mudug, with some incidents reported in Lower Shabelle and northern areas, such as Sanaag and Bari. In 2024, however, violence both intensified and expanded, with a notable rise in the south, particularly in Bay, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle regions, alongside increasing clashes in northern regions such as Sanaag, Sool, and Togdheer. The frequency and intensity of these conflicts also escalated. Data from the graph shows a sustained rise in incidents throughout 2024, with peaks occurring more frequently and consistently than in 2023. The upward trendline suggests that interclan violence is worsening, further destabilising affected regions. This widening scope and growing frequency of clan-based violence indicate a deteriorating security environment, with new flashpoints emerging in both southern and northern Somalia.