Somalia Emerges As Third-Largest Host of Ethiopian Refugees

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia is hosting more than 23,000 Ethiopian refugees and asylum seekers, making it the third-largest host country for Ethiopians displaced across the country’s neighbours, according to new UN refugee agency data.

The UNHCR figures, published on August 28 and covering the period to the end of July 2026, show that nearly 155,000 Ethiopian refugees and asylum seekers are living in six neighbouring countries.

Sudan hosts the largest number, with 63,954 Ethiopians, followed by Kenya with 43,348. Somalia ranks third with 23,645, ahead of Djibouti, which hosts 15,310, and South Sudan, with 8,484. Eritrea hosts a much smaller number.

The figures underline the two-way nature of displacement across the Horn of Africa. While Somalia hosts thousands of Ethiopians, Ethiopia remains one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries and is home to large populations displaced from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan. UNHCR’s Somalia situation data puts the number of Somali refugees in Ethiopia at about 362,000 as of mid-2026.

Ethiopia itself continues to face major internal displacement linked to conflict, insecurity and climate-related shocks. The latest UNHCR data also highlights the scale of humanitarian pressures across the wider region, where conflict, drought and other emergencies continue to push people across borders.

Hosting more than 23,000 Ethiopian refugees adds another dimension to Somalia, which is already grappling with large-scale internal displacement and a humanitarian crisis of its own.

The UNHCR data shows how closely the displacement crises of Ethiopia and Somalia are connected, with both countries simultaneously serving as countries of origin and host countries for people forced to flee.