Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa, with an estimated population of 15 million. Before the emergence of European powers, Somalia was known as the Land of Punt, which many Sultanate empires ruled until the late 19th century, when the region was colonized by Italy and Britain. Both European powers split Somalia to form the colonies of Italian and British Somaliland, and both states were eventually united to form the independent Republic of Somalia in 1960. Nine years later, the Supreme Revolutionary Council gained power of Somalia and formed the Somali Democratic Republic, which eventually fell in 1991.

During the 1980s, former Somali politician Siad Barre’s administration militia grew resistance from armed rebel groups, sparking dispute between the Somali Armed Forces and clan-based armed opposition groups. This dispute started in 1988 and ended in 1991 with opposition groups overthrowing Barre’s government. Due to lack of central authority in Somalia, a dangerous civil war broke out in the 1990s that is still an ongoing conflict to this day. The war has led to widespread famine throughout Southern Somalia, leaving families and civilians without proper food, safety, or peace. Throughout the 1990s, many peace deals were unsuccessfully established. Since then, Somalis have worked toward forming the foundations of a new government as many of Somalia’s residents have and continue to leave the country to seek asylum. The ongoing unrest and refugee crisis has made Somalia one of the most dangerous countries in the world today. According the UNHCR, the majority of Somalia’s 750,00 refugees have fled to neighboring countries Kenya, Ethiopia, and Yemen, nations already dealing with internal conflict, as a result of natural disasters, armed violence, and lack of aid caused by political unrest.

The financial status of refugees varies in the country they are in, where countries like Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen provide basic assistance and healthcare through asylum camps. However, over the last few years, the quality of these camps have deteriorated, where food rations are reduced. On the other hand, due to the low standard of living and lack of freedom in the camps, there are undocumented Somalian that live in urban areas, losing their status as refugees. Access to employment also depends on the country they move in, but it is generally difficult to obtain. Somalia refugees are denied employment in Ethiopia and Kenya. Although employment is possible in Egypt, the administrative process and the financial measure makes obtaining the employment status almost impossible. This results in participating in an informal economy, such as small businesses or domestic labor due to their loss in state and UNHCR support. The only external assistance is narrowed down to private networks, charitable and religious organisations.