MOGADISHU: The Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, Ali Yusuf Ali (Hosh), has pledged to enhance assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as part of broader government efforts to upgrade humanitarian services and social protection nationwide. The minister made the commitment during a working tour of the headquarters of the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRI) in Mogadishu, where he was received by the NCRI Chairman, Liban Abdi Igaal.
During the visit, Minister Hosh received briefings on ongoing initiatives designed to extend humanitarian aid, improve services for displaced families, and promote long‑term resettlement and recovery strategies. Authorities underscored the agency’s expanding efforts to reinforce support systems for vulnerable communities affected by conflict, drought, and displacement, aligning with the federal government’s comprehensive humanitarian and development objectives. The minister also toured service centres offering direct care and assistance to internally displaced families.
Minister Hosh commended the NCRI’s work and restated the government’s determination to intensify programmes focused on humanitarian response, community recovery, and social development. The visit occurs as the Somali government amplifies cooperation among state institutions and humanitarian organisations to tackle displacement and build resilience among affected populations.
The commitment builds on recent legal and policy advances. In November 2025, the Upper House of Parliament passed a landmark bill on internally displaced persons, codifying government responsibilities in prevention, protection, and durable solutions including voluntary return, local integration, and resettlement. That legislation had been presented to parliament’s Human Rights Committee by the Minister of Interior and his deputy, who called for a comprehensive legal framework to safeguard IDP rights and ensure access to essential services.
Nationally, the displacement crisis remains severe. United Nations data shows that approximately 680,000 people were displaced during 2025, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons to 3.3 million. The Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan estimates that nearly five million Somalis currently require humanitarian assistance, with acute hunger levels having doubled within a year as the country grapples with climate shocks and economic pressures.
The NCRI continues to implement its five‑year strategic plan aimed at providing protection, support, and sustainable solutions for IDPs. Meanwhile, the government is actively implementing the Nairobi Declaration on lasting solutions for Somali refugees; Minister Hosh recently represented Somalia at an IGAD ministerial summit reviewing progress on returnee reintegration. The minister’s tour of the NCRI headquarters reinforces the government’s multi‑pronged approach to the displacement crisis, combining legal reforms, institutional coordination, and frontline service delivery.
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