Internal Displacement in Somalia: 3.8 Million People With Nowhere to Go

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Photo: Somalia_UN BeachCleanUp - UNSOM

Displacement in Somalia is one of the largest and most forgotten crises in the world. More than 3.8 million Somalis are internally displaced people (IDPs). This means they had to leave their homes but stayed inside Somalia. They did not cross an international border. They have nowhere safe to go. Conflict, drought, floods, and forced evictions push people from their homes every year. For asylum decision-makers, understanding this crisis is essential. It shows why internal relocation within Somalia is often not a safe option.

Somalia displacement affects every part of society. Women, children, and minority clans suffer the most. IDP camps have terrible conditions. There is no clean water, no proper shelter, and very little food. Sexual violence is common. Powerful men called "gatekeepers" control access to aid. The Somali government does not have a legal framework to protect IDPs. This report examines the causes, scale, and human rights consequences of Somalia's displacement crisis.

Causes of Somalia Displacement

There are four main causes of Somalia displacement. Each cause is serious on its own. Together, they create a cycle that keeps millions of people moving from place to place with no end in sight.

Armed conflict is the first and longest-running cause. The war between Al-Shabaab and government forces has lasted more than 15 years. Fighting destroys homes and makes entire towns unsafe. When military operations happen, civilians must flee. Al-Shabaab also attacks people who do not support them. Inter-clan fighting adds another layer of violence. Disputes over land, water, and political power lead to armed clashes between clan militias.[1]

Drought and climate change are the second major cause. Somalia experienced its worst drought in 40 years between 2021 and 2023. Five consecutive rainy seasons failed. Crops died. Livestock perished. More than 1.5 million people were forced to leave their homes to find water and food. Climate scientists warn that these droughts will become more frequent because of climate change.[2]

Floods are the third cause. This may seem contradictory after drought. However, Somalia's climate swings between extremes. When the rains finally come, they are often too heavy. In late 2023 and 2024, severe flooding along the Shabelle and Jubba rivers destroyed homes and farms. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced by floods alone.

Forced evictions are the fourth cause. Many IDPs who settle in cities like Mogadishu face eviction from the land they occupy. Landowners, developers, or even government authorities force them out. In 2023, UNHCR recorded over 230,000 people affected by forced evictions. These people, already displaced once, are displaced again.[3]

The Scale of the Crisis

Somalia has one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world. The numbers have grown steadily over the past decade. According to UNHCR and OCHA data, the total number of IDPs increased from about 1.1 million in 2015 to more than 3.8 million by early 2025. This means roughly one in four Somalis is displaced.

Where Displaced People Go

Most displaced Somalis move to cities. They hope to find safety, food, and work. The main destinations are Mogadishu, Baidoa, and Kismayo. These cities now have massive informal settlements on their outskirts. Mogadishu alone hosts more than 500,000 IDPs spread across hundreds of sites.

Baidoa, in the Bay region, has become one of the most overcrowded IDP centres in the world. The town's original population was about 130,000 people. Today, more than 600,000 IDPs live in and around the town. This has overwhelmed every service. There is not enough water, food, or healthcare for everyone.[4]

Other IDPs move to towns in Puntland and Somaliland. However, these areas also have limited resources. Displaced people from south-central Somalia often face discrimination when they arrive in the north. Clan identity determines access to land, jobs, and protection. IDPs from minority clans have the fewest options and face the worst treatment.

Conditions in IDP Camps

Conditions in Somalia's IDP camps are among the worst in the world. Most camps are informal. They have no official recognition from the government. People build shelters from plastic sheets, sticks, and cardboard. There are no proper toilets. There is no clean water supply. Disease spreads quickly in these conditions.[5]

Sexual violence is a major problem in IDP camps. Women and girls face the highest risk. They are attacked when they leave the camp to collect firewood or water. Sexual violence also happens inside camps. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has documented thousands of cases of sexual violence in IDP settings each year. The real number is much higher because most cases are never reported.

Gatekeepers control many IDP camps. These are powerful local men who claim ownership of the land where IDPs settle. They act as middlemen between displaced people and aid organisations. Gatekeepers take a share of food and supplies meant for IDPs. They decide who gets help and who does not. In some cases, gatekeepers demand sexual favours from women in exchange for access to aid. This system of exploitation is well documented but continues because there is no authority to stop it.[6]

Key IDP Statistics by Region

Source: UNHCR/OCHA Somalia IDP data, January 2025. Figures are approximate.

Somalia's displacement crisis is not a temporary emergency. It is a permanent condition for millions of people. Without durable solutions, including security, land rights, and basic services, these communities will remain trapped in a cycle of displacement and suffering.
— UN OCHA, Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan 2025

Protection Gaps: No Legal Framework for IDPs

One of the biggest problems for displaced people in Somalia is the lack of legal protection. Somalia has no national law that specifically protects IDPs. The Kampala Convention (the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa) was adopted in 2009. Somalia signed it but has not fully put it into practice.[7]

There is no national registration system for IDPs. Most displaced people have no identity documents. Without documents, they cannot access government services. They cannot prove who they are. They cannot claim land or property. This lack of documentation makes them invisible to the state. It also makes it very difficult for them to leave Somalia legally.

The Somali government does not provide significant assistance to IDPs. Nearly all aid comes from international organisations like UNHCR, the World Food Programme (WFP), and OCHA. However, humanitarian funding for Somalia is consistently below what is needed. In 2024, the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan received only 38% of the required funding. This means that most IDPs receive little or no help.[8]

Climate Displacement: A Growing Emergency

Climate change is making Somalia displacement worse every year. The 2021-2023 drought was the worst in four decades. It displaced more than 1.5 million people. Pastoral and farming communities lost everything. Their animals died. Their crops failed. They walked for days or weeks to reach towns where they hoped to find water and food.

Scientists predict that droughts in the Horn of Africa will become more frequent and more severe. For Somalia, this means that climate displacement will continue to grow. The country contributes almost nothing to global carbon emissions. Yet its people pay one of the highest prices. This is a clear example of climate injustice.[9]

Floods are the other side of climate displacement. Somalia's infrastructure cannot handle heavy rains. Rivers overflow. Roads become impassable. Entire settlements are washed away. In 2023 alone, floods displaced over 700,000 people. Many of these people had already been displaced by drought just months earlier. They were displaced twice in one year.

Implications for Asylum Claims

Somalia displacement has direct and important consequences for asylum claims. The main issue is the internal relocation argument. Governments that receive Somali asylum seekers often argue that the person could relocate safely within Somalia. The evidence shows that this argument fails in most cases.

IDPs are the most vulnerable people in Somalia. They face violence, exploitation, and extreme poverty. Relocating to another part of Somalia does not provide safety or a reasonable standard of living. A person who moves to Mogadishu without clan connections and without money will likely end up in an IDP camp. There, they face all the risks described in this report: sexual violence, gatekeeper exploitation, lack of food and water, and no legal protection.[10]

The UK Upper Tribunal in MOJ and others (Return to Mogadishu) Somalia CG [2014] UKUT 442 (IAC) examined the conditions for returnees to Mogadishu. While the Tribunal found that some people could safely return, it also recognised that those without clan support or financial resources would face very serious hardship. More recent evidence from UNHCR shows that conditions have worsened since that decision was made.

For women, the internal relocation argument is even weaker. Women in IDP camps face a very high risk of sexual violence. Single women without male clan protection are especially at risk. There is no state system to protect them. Asylum decision-makers must consider these specific risks when assessing claims from Somali women. For expert analysis, a Somalia expert witness can provide detailed evidence on individual circumstances.

Conclusion

Somalia displacement is a crisis with no end in sight. More than 3.8 million people are displaced inside the country. They face armed conflict, drought, floods, and forced evictions. The conditions in IDP camps are terrible. Women and children suffer the most. The Somali government cannot protect them. There is no legal framework, no registration system, and almost no state assistance.

For asylum practitioners, the evidence is clear. Internal relocation within Somalia does not provide meaningful protection for most people. Anyone returned to Somalia without strong clan connections and financial resources faces a real risk of ending up in an IDP camp where their basic human rights cannot be guaranteed. Somalia displacement is not a temporary problem. It is a permanent humanitarian catastrophe that demands careful consideration in every asylum decision involving a Somali national.