UNHCR reports Somalia hosting over 38,000 refugees, emphasizes gender and age disparities

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has released its latest update, revealing that Somalia is currently hosting 38,642 registered refugees and asylum-seekers as of February.

The report highlights the demographic composition of this refugee population, with a particular focus on gender and age disparities.

According to the UNHCR update, a significant proportion of the refugee and asylum-seeker population in Somalia comprises women and children, accounting for approximately 67 percent.

Among them, 30 percent are school-age children (6-17 years), while 26 percent are women and girls of reproductive age (13-49 years), underscoring the vulnerability of these groups within the refugee community.

The report further delineates the origins of the refugee population, revealing that the majority, constituting 66 percent, hail from Ethiopia. Yemen follows with 29 percent, while Syria and other countries collectively account for 5 percent of the refugee demographic.

Most of the refugees and asylum-seekers are found in urban or peri-urban settings across the Woqooyi Galbeed and Bari regions in northern Somalia, highlighting the distribution pattern of displaced populations within the country.

In terms of repatriation efforts, the UNHCR notes that since January 2020, 9,046 former refugees have returned to Somalia from their countries of asylum, primarily from Yemen and Kenya. Of this total, 3,652 individuals have received direct assistance from UNHCR, primarily through voluntary repatriation programs from Kenya and assisted spontaneous returns from Yemen.

In 2024 alone, the report indicates that 68 Somali refugees have returned to Somalia, signalling ongoing repatriation efforts facilitated by UNHCR.

Despite hosting a significant number of refugees, Somalia itself grapples with internal displacement, with more than 800,000 Somali refugees and asylum-seekers residing in neighbouring countries.

Additionally, approximately 3.9 million individuals are internally displaced within Somalia due to conflict and natural disasters, exacerbating the humanitarian challenges faced by the country.