MOGADISHU (Halbeeg) Mogadishu Local government is finalizing the Benadir Regional Policy on IDPs and establishing a Durable Solutions Unit that could be used to overcome challenges facing DIPs, Mogadishu Mayor said Sunday.
According to a recent report released by UNOCHA, at least 700,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and thousands of refugees returning from Kenya and other neighbouring countries have expressed a preference to return to Mogadishu for reasons associated with socio-economic opportunities.
The current development of an IDP policy is an inaugural event led by the local government.
The policy is framed to respect and ensure the social, economic, cultural, political, and civil rights of displaced communities.
In a Facebook post, Abdirahman Omar Osman, Mogadishu Mayor said over 500,000 IDPs live in deplorable camps in Mogadishu.
“Of the estimated 3 million residents in Mogadishu, 25 per cent of them are IDPs and poverty levels among ordinary residents are very high,” Osman said.
The Mayor underscored that droughts, floods and violent conflicts continue to drive an influx of people seeking refuge in large urban cities.
He called for International support to find a durable solution to the looming crisis of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Mogadishu.
“Over 80 per cent lack basic services, shelter, water, hygiene and health services. The majority of those displaced are children with less than 30 per cent having access to basic education,” he said, “Women and girls are at higher risk of gender-based violence both in and outside settlements due to the inherent vulnerabilities displacement brings. Economic opportunity and social inclusion is a remote reality for most in Mogadishu, let alone IDPs.”
According to the Mayor, the local government is exploring such innovative options through multi-sectoral engagement to address these challenges.
The Benadir Region’s Durable Solutions Action Plan is designed to integrate priorities in the National Development Plan and other relevant frameworks such Intra-Agency Standing Committee on Durable Solutions (IASC), Drought Impact Needs Assessment (DINA) and Recovery and Resilience Framework (RRF) to secure durable solutions for over half million displaced in the region.
Discussion about this post