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Somalia + 3 more

UNHCR Somalia: Operational Update (February 2024)

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OVERVIEW

In February, the humanitarian crisis in Somalia continued, with millions of Somalis in need of humanitarian assistance. The Protection and Returns Monitoring Network (PRMN), which has been tracking internal displacement trends for the past 17 years, more than 17,000 internal displacements in February, primarily due to insecurity and enduring effects of floodings that occurred during the Deyr season, in October to December, last year. The security situation in the country remained tense, with ongoing military operations to reclaim territory from the Al-Shabaab, hereafter referred to as the non-state armed group (NSAG), which was responsible for multiple indiscriminate attacks, often causing harm to ordinary Somalis. Climate change is expected to impact Somalia for the foreseeable future.

Finding durable solutions for refugees and asylum-seekers, refugee returnees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), Federal Member States (FMS), and development and humanitarian partners remains one of UNHCR's top priorities in Somalia.

Moreover, UNHCR, in collaboration with authorities and partners, continued to provide vital protection assistance to vulnerable IDPs and host communities affected by conflict, flooding, and drought. In Somalia, UNHCR leads/co-leads the Protection, Shelter, and CCCM clusters for the IDP response.

UNHCR’s key achievements for the month of February are listed below:

▪ The Somalia Protection Cluster is working closely together with the protection actors and the Explosive Hazards Area of Responsibility (EH AoR) for the operationalization of a frontline protection response in Hobyo district, a newly accessible area in the Mudug region of Galmudug State where 8,730 individuals were displaced from their homes due to ongoing armed conflict.

▪ The biometric IDP enrolment in Baidoa was completed in February for 2,000 flood-affected HHs. After the enrolment, plastic tarpaulins and mosquito nets were provided to 1,900 HHs out of the 2,000 HHs using the Global Distribution Tool (GDT), which was rolled out for the first time in Somalia. Enrollment and GDT ensure accountability using biometric authentication, making sure that assistance reaches the right people.

▪ In Puntland, UNHCR concluded the biometric verification of 3,427 students (1,707 girls and 1,720 boys) at the primary level and 807 students (369 girls and 438 boys) at the secondary level. The verified data will ensure an efficient allocation of resources.