Displaced Somalis and refugees struggle to recover as climate change brings new threats

Displaced Somalis

Displaced Somalis and refugees struggle to recover as climate change brings new threats

Displaced Somalis who have been forcibly relocated from their homes due to violence and impacts from climate change serve as moving examples of the continuous struggles that people in the Horn of Africa must endure. The challenges of these displaced groups, from the arid deserts to the rough coastal regions, capture the tremendous effects of prolonged relocation on the social fabric and collective resilience of Somalia’s diverse and dynamic population. 

 

Telling the stories of displaced Somalis and refugees, focusing on their struggles, resiliency, and sense of optimism in the face of ever-shifting obstacles brought on by climate change and the lingering impacts is indeed a cry out for help.  

 

The story of Ayan Muude is one of these tales. It has been seven years since Ayan Muude Adawe, who had fled a drought in Ethiopia, relocated to the seaside town of Bossaso in northeastern Somalia. It was difficult for her to adjust to living there on a daily basis, but the effects of Cyclone Gati, which struck Somalia in November, put her endurance to the test. 

 

On November 22, 2021, a tropical cyclone that was the worst on record for the nation made landfall in the Bossaso area of Puntland’s Bari province, dumping two years’ worth of rain in a matter of days. Over 180,000 people were impacted, and there were at least nine fatalities. 

 

Ayan said that she had never anticipated a storm that would be so destructive. Ayan described how the floodwater ruined her home and carried away all of her possessions. The following morning, we were evacuated, but my four-month-old baby fell ill and passed on. He was frozen and gasping for air, she said. 

 

Cyclones were once extremely uncommon in Puntland, but since climate change has altered weather patterns, they have increased in frequency and now happen annually. Communities all around Somalia are struggling to recover from one calamity after another because of the country’s protracted internal turmoil, which has rendered many of them vulnerable or uprooted. Drought brought on by too little rain frequently alternates with flooding brought on by too much. 

 

According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, cyclones and floods displaced over 1.3 million Somalis in 2020, surpassing those uprooted by violence or drought. While some regions of Somalia were affected by strong rainfall and flash floods in 2021, many of them were enduring extremely dry conditions and water scarcity.  A total of 56,500 people were displaced by floods and 68,000 by drought between January and June 2021. According to UN data, this was in addition to the 359,000 people who were compelled to flee insecurity and warfare.   

 

The estimated 2.9 million internally displaced people in Somalia today reside in more than 2,000 camps dispersed around the nation. Most are improvised communities constructed on private property where people endure continual eviction threats while living in appalling conditions. 

 

Ayan resides in one of these coastal settlements in Bossaso, which is home to around 144,000 refugees who were uprooted from other regions of the country due to conflict and natural catastrophes. Despite the settlement’s propensity for flooding, the town center’s closeness offers job possibilities that the residents depend on.

 

Ayan used to be a farmer in the Somali region before leaving because of conflict and climate change in Ethiopia. She raised vegetables, sesame, and maize before persistent droughts compelled her to cross the border into Somalia. 

 

She currently scrapes by doing laundry for households in the surrounding town. For displaced persons residing in settlements in cities around the nation, a similar scenario is currently playing out. They offer inexpensive labor in the unorganized sector, but they are also at risk of abuse, eviction, and recurrent displacement due to floods and storms.   

 

The estimated 2.9 million internally displaced people in Somalia today reside in more than 2,000 camps dispersed around the nation. Most are improvised communities constructed on private property where people endure continual eviction threats while living in appalling conditions. 

 

Ayan resides in one of these coastal settlements in Bossaso, which is home to around 144,000 refugees who were uprooted from other regions of the country due to conflict and natural catastrophes. Despite the settlement’s propensity for flooding, the town center’s closeness offers possibilities for employment that the residents there rely on. 

 

Ayna’s story is just one of the millions of displaced people in Somalia. In Somalia, climate change continues to play a significant role in the displacement of people.  

 

A vivid reminder of the urgent need for all-encompassing, rights-based solutions that put the welfare and dignity of people affected first is provided by the ongoing struggle of displaced Somalis and refugees in the face of growing climate-related risks. Their experiences, which are intertwined with themes of resiliency, optimism, and tenacity, highlight the need for international cooperation and coordinated action to address the dual problems of displacement and environmental change. 

 

Building a more secure and optimistic future for all those impacted depends on empowering displaced communities and refugees to actively shape their futures while promoting cross-border collaboration and inclusive policies. 

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