Somalia: 34,000 left homeless after army destroys camps

Somalia’s national army has demolished homeless shelters in the capital Mogadishu, Garowe Online reported today.

Between 29 December and 19 January, 3,000 shelters were destroyed by Somalia’s military and police forces using bulldozers and heavy machinery. Somalia’s internally displaced were not given adequate notification and are currently on foot without basic amenities.

“The Somali government needs to take responsibility for the mass forced evictions of these vulnerable, marginalised communities in Mogadishu,” Laetitia Bader, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said.

“A thorough investigation should be followed by concrete steps to ensure that all evictions are lawful and that anyone displaced is provided for.”

The Somalia government has a record of forcibly leaving internally displaced people without any redress.

“If local and federal authorities need to move displaced people, they should first consult with these communities and put in place a plan that ensures people’s security and access basic assistance,” Bader continued.

Last week, the UK’s international development secretary pledged to provide $29 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia.

Somalia has had a deteriorating humanitarian issue with some two million internally displaced people suffering from a drought amid conflict for more than a decade.

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