Drought and eviction displacement in Baidoa, Somalia
Baidoa, South West State, Somalia. Reported onset 1 January 2021.
TL;DR
Baidoa absorbed large numbers of rural households displaced by drought and insecurity into hundreds of small informal sites. Many of those households are then displaced again by eviction from private land, producing repeat displacement inside the same town.
What happened
- Consecutive failed rainy seasons and insecurity in surrounding districts pushed rural households towards Baidoa in search of water, food and assistance.
- Arrivals settled in hundreds of small informal sites, many on privately held land on the edges of the town.
- Households were subsequently evicted from some of those sites, moving again within or around the town.
Why it matters for the data
- Eviction is a distinct displacement driver and is tracked separately from drought and conflict displacement.
- A high number of very small sites means site counts and population counts can move in opposite directions.
- Urban absorption of rural drought displacement is a structural pattern in Somalia rather than a one off event.
What to watch next
- IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix Somalia site and eviction tracking.
- UNHCR and NRC protection and return monitoring network eviction reporting.
- IPC and FEWS NET seasonal outlooks for the surrounding districts.
Where the figures come from
This page does not publish population figures for the event. Numbers for an active event change faster than any single page can responsibly restate them, and access restrictions mean estimates carry wide uncertainty. The organisations below publish the current figures and the methodology behind them.
Country context
For the wider picture, see the Somalia displacement dashboard, which tracks conflict events, population movement and humanitarian needs on a rolling basis.