Somalia seeks global support to address forced displacement

GENEVA

Somalia is seeking global support to address forced displacement caused by multiple challenges, including a "prolonged conflict of climate change," the country’s commissioner for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) said on Thursday.

"These challenges have forced millions of Somalis to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighboring countries and beyond," Safia Hassan Mohamed said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.

Underlining that her country is one of the nations that produces the least carbon globally, Mohamed said: "But it is also one of the worst affected by an ongoing climate crisis."

While the country is dealing with IDPs, she said it also hosts 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers from neighboring countries.

"We believe refugees and IDPs are agents of change, they bring skills and knowledge to the community they live with," she added.

Voicing support for the Global Compact on Refugees, a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, the commissioner urged: "We call on the global community to share the burden with Somalia as we strive providing dignity, protection, and solutions for displaced population."

Over three million people have been displaced as a result of climate conflict, with the majority of them being women, girls, and children, Mohamed said.

During the forum, she said Somalia pledged to offer “durable solutions for 50,000 displaced people in four years."

These solutions will be provided through legal frameworks, disaster risk reduction, and ensuring their inclusion in society and the economy.

The three-day forum, which is set to conclude on Friday, is the largest quadrennial international meeting on refugee issues.

It is co-convened by five states – Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan, and Uganda – and co-hosted by Switzerland and the UNHCR.

With refugee numbers rising due to armed conflicts, environmental pressures, and natural disasters, among other factors, this year's forum will work to address a growing international issue.