The refugee problem

The drought of 1974-75 brought a huge influx of refugees from Ogaden, Ethiopia. Most of these were nomads and needed to adjust to new Somali conditions of resettlement.

The government ran three large refugee centres in the south. Despite attempts at restricting the entry of refugees, there were still some half a million refugees remaining in Somalia by 1985.

By 1989, the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) began to close operations in Somalia, arguing that relations had improved between Somalia and Ethiopia, and it was therefore safe for the refugees to return. Those who remained with the approval of the government were given Somali citizenship.