Somalia

·         

·        The Somali Refugee Crisis

·         

·       

·         

·         Origins of the Crisis

·         

Factors Leading to Crisis in Somalia

·
 State collapse
Tribe/clan conflict
Drought, collapse of agriculture Islamic courts split into different groups, one of them being Al-Shabab, considered a terrorist group.Barre, the leader of Somalia for 22 years, declared war on Ethiopia in 1977 to take back the Somali-majority region. This began the downfall of the state.   "Dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution, banned political parties, arrested politicians and curbed press freedom."

·          Colonialism and the Crisis

·       

·      

·   

      

           Drought, Floods, and Displacement

“The town of Belet Weyne in the Hiraan region of Somalia as seen from the air
submerged in flood waters from the Shabelle river on 30 April 2018.
Belet Weyne is currently experiencing its worst flooding ever and over150,000 people have been displaced.”

             

“The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that over 3.1 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.”

Who Becomes a Refugee?

Where Refugees Flee

Although many Somali refugees fled to neighboring Yemen, this is no longer a viable option as Yemen is facing its own civil war and severe refugee crisis. See the Yemen page.

Life in Refugee Camps

Daadab, Kenya: World's Largest Refugee Camp

Growing up in Daadab: the Majority are under 18

As of March, 2019, Daadab was still open.

Refugee Camp in Ethiopia

Organizations Helping Somali Refugees

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: UNHCR

World Bank 

Medecins San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)

UNICEF

  

Somali Refugees in the United States

"To be considered for refugee status, you must meet these general requirements:

You are located outside the United States;

You are of special humanitarian concern to the United States;

You can demonstrate that you were persecuted or that you have a well-founded fear that you will be persecuted on account of your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group;

You are not firmly resettled (permanently living) in another country; and

Youcan be admitted to the United States."

 

Somali Refugee Arrivals in the United States, Fiscal Years (FY)* 2010–2016 (N=47,407)

“Following initial resettlement in the United States, manySomali refugees relocate to states with well-established Somali communities.Minnesota receives a significant number of secondary refugee arrivals, with thelargest numbers coming from New York and Texas…The majority of secondaryarrivals in Minnesota settle in Hennepin, Stearns, and Kandiyohi counties, allof which have well-established Somali communities.”

American Attitudes to Somali Refugees

Trump Wants to Ban Somali Refugees

American Hate Groups

Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists

"This is America's State of Hate."

But Somali Communities in Minnesota
have been welcomed.

"Suleeqo Nuur, a Somalia native who graduated from Pelican Rapids High School in 2016, chats with Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker at the Pelican Rapids Friendship Festival on Saturday, June 22, 2019." 

The Band of Faith played the Somali National Anthem at the Friendship Festival in Pelican Rapids.

Christian Attitudes Towards Muslim Somali Refugees

In the past, most Christian communities in the US were welcoming to refugees, no matter the religion of the refugees.  But in recent years, many white, Evangelical Christians have developed negative attitudes towards Muslim refugees.

As Shown in Pelican Rapids, MN, when you know refugees, you are more welcoming.

Somali Girls in Minnesota

Somalis finding their place in Minnesota: A look at the day-to-day lives of people in Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the United States. 

Abdikadir Negeye: How I Became an American

Ilhan Omar on being elected to Congress.