Refugees International Peacebuilding Advocate Erin Weir and Advocate Patrick Duplat travelled to Kenya and Somalia from February 24 to March 14, 2008, to conduct an assessment of the humanitarian situation for displaced Somalis and to evaluate options for civilian protection by a peacekeeping force. The RI team travelled to Mogadiscio, the Mogadiscio-Afgooye corridor and parts of Lower Shabelle.

The trip was preceded by an assessment of the humanitarian situation and response to refugees in Yemen.

While Somalia has been without a working government for the past 18 years, the humanitarian situation has significantly deteriorated since December 2006 when Ethiopian troops defeated the Union of Islamic Courts who controlled parts of South Central Somalia. In the conflict that ensued, hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, including 700,000 from the capital Mogadiscio according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The number of internally displaced is now estimated to be as high as 1 million, with hundreds of thousands more seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

RI is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation of internally displaced Somalis who live in makeshift camps and in urban areas. Furthermore, RI is distressed at the extent to which insecurity continues to prevent international NGOs and UN agencies from providing humanitarian assistance, as illustrated by recent attacks on humanitarian staff.

The purpose of this mission was to examine how international agencies have been able to protect and assist displaced people in a highly insecure environment and under extreme political constraints. In particular, this mission examined coordination mechanisms within the international response. The RI team also sought to understand the nature and extent of the security threats faced by civilians and to identify feasible ways for the international community to increase its diplomatic engagement.