Community
Ethiopia (Somali refugees and the Somali Region)
Ethiopia hosts about 362,000 refugees from Somalia (August 2026), most of them in the Dollo Ado camps near the border, and more than 50,000 crossed in 2026 alone seeking water and help. Ethnic Somalis of Ethiopia's Somali Region are Ethiopian citizens with their own regional government, and this page treats them as neighbours.
Respect first
The people of Ethiopia's Somali Region are Ethiopian citizens, governed by their own regional state. Calankii's work is for Somalia within its current borders. It makes no claim on them. With them it acts as a good neighbour would: open trade, cooperation across the border and friendship. Any service like records or help to return is for refugees from Somalia only, with the consent of Ethiopian authorities and UNHCR.
Who lives there
There were 362,151 refugees from Somalia in Ethiopia on 31 August 2026. By place: Dollo Ado 218,087 (Bokolmanyo, Buramino, Hilaweyn, Kobe and Melkadida camps), Jigjiga 51,885 (Aw-barre, Kebribeyah and Sheder) and Addis Ababa 802 (UNHCR data portal). More than 50,000 people crossed from Somalia in 2026 seeking water and help (MSF, May 2026).
Work and money
Herding is the main way of life in the Somali Region. Repeated failed rains have killed livestock and left herders without income, and competition over water is rising. In Barey (Afder Zone) people walk an hour or more to rivers. In Kelafo (Shebelle Zone) fuel shortages stopped water treatment (MSF).
Who governs
The Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Somali Regional State. Its president, Mustafa Muhumed Omer, has led the region since August 2018 and was sworn in again in Jigjiga on 1 October 2026 (Dawan Africa). The regional health bureau leads drought health checks, and MSF works in Barey.
What people face now
- Drought across Afder and Shebelle zones, with many children treated for malnutrition (May 2026).
- Aid cuts that hit water and sanitation hardest.
- Fuel prices that have risen with conflict in the Middle East.
- New arrivals from Somalia, more than 50,000 in 2026 (MSF).
Top needs (refugees)
- Water and food, provided by aid agencies.
- Civil records that families keep for their return.
- Facts about home districts before deciding to return.
- Income on return.
- Remembrance of those lost.
Sources differ
UNHCR's camp figures add up to about 91,000 fewer than its national total. The gap is not explained.
What we don't know yet
Refugee incomes and prices. If you know, use "Fix this page".
Sources
- UNHCR data portal · data.unhcr.org
- MSF, May 2026 · msf.org
- Dawan Africa · dawan.africa
Gathered in our research record “Community profiles”. Wikipedia is used only as a backup.
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