Warsaw, Poland – The Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) has joined the global statistical community at the 2025 All Members Meeting of the Expert Group on Refugee, IDP, and Statelessness Statistics (EGRISS), held in Warsaw, Poland. The event brought together national statistical offices, UN agencies, and international partners to advance the integration of displacement data into official statistical systems.
Representing Somalia, SNBS Director General Dr. Abdisalam Mohamed delivered an insightful presentation on “Somalia’s Approach to Collecting and Managing Refugee, IDP, and Statelessness Data.” He highlighted how the Bureau is pioneering new ways to transform humanitarian data into official statistics, ensuring that displaced populations are not left out of national planning.
Dr. Abdisalam shared findings from Somalia’s groundbreaking 2023 Survey on Nomadic Movement into IDP Camps, the first of its kind in the country. The survey identified significant data gaps and underscored the importance of building stronger national coordination to generate reliable, IRIS-aligned displacement statistics.
In a high-level panel discussion on implementing the IRRS, IRIS, and IROSS frameworks at national levels, Dr. Abdisalam elaborated on Somalia’s progress in integrating displacement data through the IDP Statistical Sector Plan, one of the central pillars of the National Statistical Development Strategy (NSDS2). He also noted that Somalia’s forthcoming Population and Housing Census will update the national population baseline while ensuring that internally displaced settlements are fully represented.
“Our approach is rooted in national ownership, data quality, and institutional collaboration,” he emphasized, adding that these principles are essential to advancing Somalia’s displacement statistics agenda and fostering evidence-based policymaking.
Somalia’s participation in the #EGRISS2025AMM signals the growing capacity and confidence of national institutions like the SNBS in leading statistical transformation. It reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that every person counts — and is counted.
Through its continued engagement, the SNBS is positioning Somalia as a proactive contributor to global data initiatives, producing trusted, high-quality statistics that inform durable solutions and sustainable development across the Horn of Africa.