Baidoa, Somalia – Dozens of displaced families in Baidoa, southern Somalia, were left homeless this week after being forcibly evicted from a settlement they had called home for years. The site, located on the outskirts of the Bay region capital, is reportedly being cleared for private development.
The families — mostly women, children, and elderly people — had fled previous cycles of drought and conflict, building small shelters from tarpaulins and sticks in the hope of starting anew. Early this week, bulldozers moved in under tight security, flattening makeshift homes and scattering residents’ few possessions across the dusty plain. Many families said they lost not only their shelters but also their small kiosks, livestock, and the tools they used to earn a living.
Humanitarian workers in Baidoa described the eviction as another painful blow to people already struggling to survive. Many of those displaced had been receiving minimal assistance, relying on informal jobs, firewood collection, or petty trade to sustain their families. With the camp demolished, they now face renewed uncertainty—unsure where to go or how to rebuild.
Local civil society actors expressed concern that land speculation is increasingly driving forced evictions in Baidoa, a city that has become one of Somalia’s largest hubs for internally displaced persons. Years of drought and insecurity have swelled its population, putting immense pressure on available land. Reports indicate that landowners and private developers are targeting areas once deemed uninhabitable, pushing vulnerable communities further into marginal zones.
Authorities have yet to announce any plan for resettlement or compensation. Some residents are now sheltering in nearby open spaces, while others have sought refuge with relatives in the city. Aid agencies warn that without urgent intervention, the evicted families face rising health and protection risks, especially as rains begin and diseases such as cholera threaten overcrowded informal settlements.
For the displaced, this eviction is a painful reminder that even after surviving drought and conflict, the struggle for a place to belong continues.