Droughts, famines and displacement
Air crashes in Somalia: every major accident from 1981 to 2026
The deadliest air crash in Somalia was Somali Airlines Flight 40, which crashed near Balcad on 20 July 1981 and killed all 50 people on board. Other fatal crashes include a Belarusian Il-76 that crashed after take-off from Mogadishu in March 2007 (11 dead), an Ethiopian Air Force An-12 at Mogadishu in 2013 (4 dead), an aid plane brought down at Bardaale in May 2020 (6 dead), which an African Union report said Ethiopian troops shot down by mistake and a Trident Aviation DHC-5 near Mogadishu in March 2025 (5 dead). In 2016 a bomb exploded on Daallo Airlines Flight 159; only the bomber died.
In short
| Date | Aircraft and operator | Place | Deaths | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1981 | Fokker F27, Somali Airlines Flight 40 | near Balcad, Middle Shabelle | 50 (all on board) | UPI, 20 July 1981 |
| 9 Mar 2007 | Il-76, TransAVIAexport | Mogadishu airport | 0 (hit by a rocket, landed) | Wikipedia |
| 23 Mar 2007 | Il-76, TransAVIAexport | outskirts of Mogadishu | 11 (all crew) | Wikipedia |
| 9 Aug 2013 | An-12, Ethiopian Air Force | Mogadishu airport | 4 of 6 crew | BBC, 9 August 2013 |
| 2 Feb 2016 | Airbus A321, Daallo Airlines Flight 159 | after take-off from Mogadishu | 1 (the bomber) | BBC, February 2016 |
| 4 May 2020 | Embraer EMB 120, African Express Airways | Bardaale, Bay | 6 (all on board) | Reuters, 5 May 2020 |
| 14 Jul 2020 | Dash 8-400, Bluebird Aviation | Beledweyne airport | 0 | Hiiraan Online, July 2020 |
| 18 Jan 2024 | Fokker 50, Jetways Airlines | Ceel Barde airstrip, Bakool | 1 (the pilot) | Garowe Online, 20 January 2024 |
| 22 Mar 2025 | DHC-5D Buffalo, Trident Aviation | 24 km south-west of Mogadishu | 5 (all on board) | Kenyans.co.ke, 23 March 2025 |
| 10 Feb 2026 | Fokker 50, StarSky Aviation | shore by Mogadishu airport | 0 (55 on board) | The Citizen, February 2026 |
1981: Somali Airlines Flight 40
The Fokker F27 was flying from Mogadishu to Hargeisa on 20 July 1981. It returned to Mogadishu after a fault, took off again, and crashed a few minutes later near Balcad. All 44 passengers and 6 crew died. It "remains the deadliest aviation accident in Somalia". President Siad Barre attended a mass funeral and ordered a commission of inquiry two days later (Wikipedia, Somali Airlines Flight 40; UPI, 20 July 1981).
The Aviation Safety Network says the plane entered a spiral dive in heavy rain after strong gusts and lost its right wing. In 2021 Hiiraan Online questioned that account, noting Mogadishu rarely has thunderstorms in July (Hiiraan Online, 20 July 2021).
2007: two Il-76 cargo planes
- 9 March 2007. An Il-76 bringing Ugandan peacekeepers and equipment was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade on approach to Mogadishu and caught fire. It landed safely and all on board were unharmed. Islamist militia claimed the attack; Somali officials said it was a technical failure.
- 23 March 2007. A second TransAVIAexport Il-76 crashed on the outskirts of Mogadishu after take-off, during the fighting in the city, killing all 11 Belarusian crew. It was carrying equipment to repair the first plane. The BBC reported it had been shot down.
Both from Wikipedia, 2007 TransAVIAexport Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 crash.
2013: Ethiopian Air Force An-12
On 9 August 2013 an Ethiopian Air Force An-12 from Dire Dawa, carrying weapons and ammunition, crashed beside the runway at Mogadishu. Four of the six crew died and two were rescued by African Union (AMISOM) firefighters. A seven-member government committee's preliminary report ruled out foul play (BBC, 9 August 2013; Wikipedia, 2013 Ethiopian Air Force An-12 crash).
2016: Daallo Airlines Flight 159
On 2 February 2016, about 20 minutes after take-off from Mogadishu for Djibouti, a bomb exploded on board and tore a hole in the fuselage. The plane returned and landed. The bomber was the only person killed; his body fell near Balcad. There were 74 passengers and 7 crew. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, and ten people were later convicted in connection with the plot (BBC, February 2016; Wikipedia, Daallo Airlines Flight 159). See al-Shabaab.
2020: Bardaale and Beledweyne
- Bardaale, 4 May 2020. An African Express Airways Embraer carrying COVID-19 medical supplies and mosquito nets from Baidoa was brought down on approach to Bardaale. All six on board died (Reuters, 5 May 2020). An AMISOM report presented on 9 May said Ethiopian troops at Bardaale had shot it down by mistake, thinking it might be on a suicide mission (Wikipedia, 2020 African Express Airways Embraer EMB 120 crash; New York Times, 10 May 2020). See COVID-19 in Somalia.
- Beledweyne, 14 July 2020. A Bluebird Aviation Dash 8 cargo plane carrying supplies for AMISOM crashed on landing and burned. The two pilots and an engineer survived. Kenyan press reported that the crew tried to avoid a donkey on the runway (Kenyans.co.ke, July 2020; Hiiraan Online).
2024 to 2026
- Ceel Barde, 18 January 2024. A Jetways Airlines Fokker 50 (5Y-JWG) carrying World Food Programme cargo "veered off the runway" on landing. The UN mission (UNSOM) confirmed "one fatality and two injuries"; the pilot died (Garowe Online, 20 January 2024).
- Near Mogadishu, 22 March 2025. A Trident Aviation DHC-5D Buffalo (5Y-RBA) flying from Dhobley to Mogadishu crashed about 24 km south-west of the capital. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority said: "All five people on board lost their lives" (Kenyans.co.ke, 23 March 2025).
- Mogadishu, 10 February 2026. A StarSky Aviation Fokker 50 bound for Gaalkacyo developed a fault after take-off, returned, overran the runway and stopped in shallow water. All 50 passengers and 5 crew survived (The Citizen, February 2026).
Sources
- UPI (1981). Somalia Airlines crash kills 49, 20 July 1981.
- Hiiraan Online (2021). Today in history: Somali Airlines flight HH40, 20 July 2021.
- BBC (2013). Ethiopian military plane crashes in Mogadishu, 9 August 2013.
- BBC (2016). Daallo Airlines blast, February 2016.
- Reuters (2020). Plane carrying aid crashes in Somalia, 5 May 2020.
- New York Times (2020). Coronavirus aid plane crash, Somalia, 10 May 2020.
- Hiiraan Online (2020). Bluebird Aviation plane goes down at Beledweyne airport.
- Kenyans.co.ke (2020). Donkey blamed for crash of Kenyan plane in Somalia.
- Garowe Online (2024). Pilot killed after Jetways Airlines Fokker 50 crashed on landing, 20 January 2024.
- Kenyans.co.ke (2025). Somalia confirms Kenyan plane crash that killed 5 near Mogadishu, 23 March 2025.
- The Citizen (2026). Passengers recount horror of Somalia plane crash into Indian Ocean.
- Wikipedia articles on Flight 40, the 2007 Il-76 crash, the 2013 An-12 crash, Daallo Flight 159 and the 2020 Embraer crash.
Sources
- UPI, 20 July 1981 · upi.com
- BBC, 9 August 2013 · bbc.com
- BBC, February 2016 · bbc.co.uk
- Reuters, 5 May 2020 · reuters.com
- Hiiraan Online, July 2020 · hiiraan.com
- Garowe Online, 20 January 2024 · garoweonline.com
- Kenyans.co.ke, 23 March 2025 · kenyans.co.ke
- The Citizen, February 2026 · thecitizen.co.tz
- Wikipedia, Somali Airlines Flight 40 · en.wikipedia.org
- Hiiraan Online, 20 July 2021 · hiiraan.com
- Wikipedia, 2007 TransAVIAexport Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 crash · en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, 2013 Ethiopian Air Force An-12 crash · en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, Daallo Airlines Flight 159 · en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, 2020 African Express Airways Embraer EMB 120 crash · en.wikipedia.org
- New York Times, 10 May 2020 · nytimes.com
- Kenyans.co.ke, July 2020 · kenyans.co.ke
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Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Beledweyne (Belet Weyne) and HiiraanHiiraan is a region of Hirshabelle State on the Shabelle river, with Beledweyne as its capital and about 505,000 to 598,000 people.
- Baydhabo (Baidoa) and BayBay is a farming region in South West State, with Baidoa (Baydhabo) as its main city and about 1.25 to 1.8 million people.
- Xuddur (Hudur) and BakoolBakool is a region in South West State, on the border with Ethiopia, with Xudur (Hudur) as its capital.
- Kismaayo (Kismayo) and Lower JubaLower Juba is the far southern region on the border with Kenya, with the port city of Kismayo (Kismaayo) as its capital and about 1.2 million people.
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Disasters in Somalia: a list from 1974 to 2026A list of every recorded disaster in Somalia from the 1974 drought to the 2026 dengue outbreak, year by year, with deaths and people affected and a link to the full page or UN record.
- Famines and droughts in Somalia: a timeline and the Somali names for themA timeline of droughts and famines in Somalia from 1913 to 2023, with the Somali names given to each, deaths where estimated, and links to the full pages.
- Rain, drought and floods in Somalia: the Gu and Deyr seasons and the great droughtsSomalia's rainy seasons (Gu and Deyr), the great droughts from 1974 to today, the death tolls, the 2023 floods, and what changed after the 2011 famine.
- The Somalia famine of 2010 to 2012: what happened and how many diedThe 2010 to 2012 famine in southern Somalia: the drought, the famine declarations region by region, the blocked aid, the death toll by region, the refugees and how it ended.
- The Somalia famine of 1991 to 1993 (Caga Barar): causes, deaths and reliefThe 1991 to 1993 famine in southern Somalia: how war and drought caused it, Baidoa and the camps, the death toll, the Red Cross and UN response, and how it ended.
- The Somalia drought of 2016 to 2018: famine warned, famine avertedThe 2016 to 2018 drought in Somalia: the poor rains, the national disaster, cholera and displacement, the cash response, the death toll and why famine was not declared.