By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, Aug. 5 2026 – Somalia, in coordination with the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), has repatriated 155 Somali refugees from Yemen under a voluntary return programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The refugees arrived at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Wednesday, where they were received by officials from the foreign ministry, the National Commission for Refugees and IDPs (NCRI) and UNHCR, according to a ministry statement.
The ministry said the returnees had been living for years in Yemen, including at the Basateen refugee settlement, and had voluntarily requested assistance to return to Somalia through the Somali Embassy in Yemen.
"The repatriation reflects the Federal Government's commitment to protecting Somali citizens abroad and supporting their safe, dignified return home," the ministry said in the statement.
The ministry said the operation was coordinated with Somalia's embassy in Yemen and international partners, including UNHCR, in line with humanitarian standards.
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Some of the returnees, including women and children, told state media they were pleased to be back in Somalia after years of living in Yemen.
"I am happy to have returned to my homeland," one returnee, Ayaan Hassan Warsame, told Somali National Television. "No place is better than your own country."
Deputy Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees and IDPs Abdullahi Adan Abdi said the group consisted of 155 Somali refugees who had arrived safely from Yemen.
The repatriation comes as Somalia continues to work with international partners to facilitate the voluntary return of its citizens displaced by conflict and instability in the region. Yemen has hosted Somali refugees for decades despite its own prolonged conflict and humanitarian crisis.