By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 27 August 2026 - Somalia repatriated 154 citizens living as refugees in Yemen on Wednesday under the U.N. refugee agency's Assisted Spontaneous Return programme.
The group departed from Aden International Airport and arrived in Mogadishu, the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRI) said.
The programme, facilitated by UNHCR, supports Somali refugees who voluntarily choose to return.
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Yemeni organization Nahda Makers supported the operation with registration, document verification, pre-departure awareness and transport of returnees and their belongings to the airport, the organization said. Human Access Organization conducted medical examinations before departure, according to Nahda Makers.
NCRI said it would work to help the returnees access essential services and reintegration support.
The flight was the second assisted return operation from Yemen this month, after 155 refugees returned on Aug. 5, Nahda Makers said. The two operations brought the August total to 309.