Nairobi (RBC) Over 1 million Somalis live as refugees in neighbouring countries, mostly in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti. Nearly half a million Somali refugees are registered in Kenya.
On 10 November, Kenya, Somalia and the UN refugee agency, UNCHR, signed a Tripartite Agreement to support the voluntary return of Somali refugees. The agreement establishes a legal framework and other support for Somali refugees in Kenya who wish to return to their homeland.
The agreement also defines the roles and responsibilities of the three parties in accordance with international standards. This includes the right of any refugee to choose whether to return home in safety and dignity, after they have been informed about conditions on the ground.
Evictions of displaced persons in Hodan and other districts in Mogadishu continued in October. At least 2,000 households, mainly the host community including 200 orphanchildren and people with special needs were evicted from Majo area near the airport in the first week of October, according to UNHCR.
The Government stopped the illegal eviction of 35 blind displaced people and postponed it until the end of the month.
About 4,200 people were internally displaced in October across the country, which is 2,100 less than in September. Reasons for displacement continued to include evictions, insecurity and people’s search for livelihood opportunities.
The overall number of people crossing into Somalia from Kenya and Ethiopia has increased slightly this year, with some 31,200 people reportedly returning in the first 10 months, compared to 25,000 in the same period in 2012 and 6,000 in 2011. Many of the movements have so far been seasonal or otherwise temporary, since conditions for large-scale permanent refugee returns are not yet in place.
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