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Displacement in the Horn of Africa and Yemen

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:07 GMT

Source: member // Danish Refugee Council (DRC) - Denmark

With the main focus of attention of the London Conference being Somalia, the international aid community needs to commit to strengthened regional efforts in support of refugees and those displaced in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

More than 20 years of war and armed conflict in Somalia have not only left the country in ruins, but affected the whole region. Today, hundreds of thousands remain displaced in Somalia, while many flee across borders or migrate further in search of safety and protection in the region.

‘There is no doubt that there is an obvious and urgent need to address the challenges to create stability in Somalia. Somalia is to a wide extent the epicenter of a larger crisis, but there are growing and unmet needs in the whole region as a consequence, not least  in terms of fulfilling commitments to offer protection to refugees and migrants,’ says Peter Klansoe, Regional Director for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in the Horn of Africa & Yemen.  

DRC has been working with Somalis and displaced populations in the region since 1998. In 2008, DRC opened a new office in Yemen, to assist Somalis and other asylum seekers and migrants arriving on the Yemeni shores.

‘Provision of aid and protection during emergencies such as in Somalia is one of the biggest challenges in the region right now. As providers of humanitarian aid, we are entrusted with a huge responsibility to translate commitments from international donors and governments into tangible and timely assistance. However, it is important to remember to look at the region as a whole and to strive to assist those affected by the crisis also outside Somalia. We need to acknowledge needs for protection and the importance of voluntary returns from the region. This can only happen if challenges to create stability are addressed not only by looking at Somalia , but with a regional perspective and through a more comprehensive approach.’

DRC has a presence in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen where it is engaged in programmes and activities aimed to protect refugees, internally displaced people and conflict-affected communities, and provide emergency aid as well as long term solutions to the problems of forced displacement.

In Somalia, DRC is involved in delivering life-saving assistance to populations affected by violence, drought and famine, and to those forcibly displaced. DRC supports livelihood activities as well as the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure in South Central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland.