Mogadishu — Somalia is facing a deepening humanitarian emergency after more than 142,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) were forcibly evicted from temporary shelters since the start of 2025, the United Nations has warned.
Most of those affected had already fled conflict, climate disasters or drought, only to be uprooted again. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the majority of the evictions took place in urban and peri-urban settlements across Mogadishu, Baidoa and Kismayo — areas that host tens of thousands of people seeking refuge from insecurity and environmental shocks.
“Repeated evictions exacerbate vulnerabilities and cut families off from essential services such as food assistance, healthcare and education,” OCHA said, urging authorities to halt unlawful land clearances and establish safeguards to protect displaced populations.
While some evictions were linked to private land disputes or development projects, rights groups argue that weak land governance and inadequate enforcement of protection policies have left IDPs at the mercy of landowners and local authorities. Many were reportedly expelled without notice, losing makeshift shelters, belongings and aid supplies.
Humanitarian agencies fear that continued evictions will worsen overcrowding in remaining camps and strain already limited resources. Somalia currently hosts more than 3.8 million internally displaced people — one of the highest figures in the world — most driven from their homes by conflict and climate disasters such as flooding and prolonged drought.
Aid organizations are calling for urgent government intervention to provide legal land tenure solutions and alternative resettlement areas to prevent further cycles of displacement.
Humanitarian coordinators insist that the evictions must stop as Somalia cannot build resilience while families are being uprooted over and over again.
The UN has appealed for stronger coordination between federal and local authorities to uphold human rights obligations and ensure IDPs are protected from forced removal. Without swift action, officials warn, Somalia risks plunging even deeper into instability and humanitarian distress.