Attachments
IOM Vision
IOM Somalia's primary goal is to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity through the delivery of frontline services to crisis-affected populations, while steadily developing models and partnerships for longer-term recovery and resilience. As a pilot country for SG's Action Agenda, IOM is building on its lessons in Somalia to effectively contribute to the design of an overarching roadmap to resolve, prevent and address internal displacement crises around the world. IOM aims at providing more holistic support to communities in a way that reinforces government legitimacy and enables the government to deliver services.
Context analysis
Somalia is facing one of the most complex and longstanding humanitarian crises in the world. Decades of poverty, marginalization, armed violence, insecurity, political instability, natural hazards, and poor access to basic services and livelihood opportunities have devastated the lives of millions of people. Recurrent climatic shocks, such as drought and flooding, drive thousands of people out of their homes each year. Ongoing conflicts affect protection and human rights, reduce resilience, and further hinder access to basic services.
These crises have displaced communities across the country. Somalia ranks among the countries with one of the highest populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) globally – 3.8 million displaced with over 2.4 million displaced due to the climate crisis alone, since January 2021 (UNHCR PRMN Dashboard, as of October 2023). IDPs are among the most vulnerable populations, as many of them have exhausted their coping mechanisms due to the nature and frequency of humanitarian crises. Women and girls, as well as people living with disabilities, are often the ones that are the most affected.
According to the 2024 RISK Inform Index, Somalia ranks second globally for its exposure to natural hazards and only fourth in terms of its ability to address and cope with these recurrent catastrophes. Somalia is still recovering from the recent heavy rains and floods resulting from the El Niño weather phenomenon that took place between October and December 2023. These rains affected over 1.24 million people since the start of the Deyr rainy season (between October and December 2023), with more than 456,800 people having been displaced from their homes. At least 32 people have died, according to the Somali authorities. Moreover, floods have displaced thousands of families across several sites for IDPs, who, left with no livelihoods, had been pushed to IDP sites in the outskirts of urban centres, where sanitation and hygiene conditions are insufficient due to overcrowding. Moreover, the floods have damaged essential infrastructures including health facilities, and contaminated water sources, may cause water- and vector-borne disease outbreaks, in a country already grappling with outbreaks of cholera. This poses significant threats to the lives of many, particularly to communities residing along the Shabelle and Juba rivers and is expected to put thousands of lives at risk, kill livestock, and destroy crops, thus exacerbating humanitarian needs.
Somalia is a country of origin, transit, and destination for migrants in the East and Horn of Africa. It is the main transit country for migrants from Ethiopia en route to Yemen and onward to the Gulf countries. Every year, thousands of Somalis and migrants make hazardous journeys along regional migration routes and are exposed to severe protection risks and violation of human rights.
Furthermore, thousands of Somali diaspora members have returned from abroad in recent years and continue to greatly contribute to ongoing efforts in sustaining and rebuilding the country. Remittances play a key role in Somalia’s economy and contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with total foreign remittances currently estimated to surpass foreign aid. The diaspora is an essential partner for relief and development operations.