By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
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Mogadishu, Somalia – Somalia hosts 45,500 refugees and asylum seekers from six countries, providing shelter as conflicts persist in their home nations.
The Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees and IDPs, Liban Abdi Igal, disclosed the figures during an event held in Mogadishu to mark World Refugee Day.
Liban said the refugees come from Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Palestine, noting that the Somali government remain committed to welcoming and supporting those fleeing hardship in their countries.
"Today is a day when the Somali government and people demonstrate their welcome, coexistence, and cooperation based on dignity and the noble values of Somali culture," he said.
Liban also emphasized that Somalis deeply understand the meaning of displacement and refugeehood, as millions of Somalis themselves became refugees during the civil war that erupted in the 1990s.
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He noted that Somali refugees who resettled in Western countries played a significant role in supporting their families and communities back home, describing it as a lesson in the importance of assisting refugees and displaced people.
The Commissioner called on the government, humanitarian organizations, business leaders, and the Somali community to strengthen support for refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
"Helping people in distress is a shared responsibility and a value rooted in our faith, culture, and humanity," he said.
The Commissioner also pledged that next year's World Refugee Day celebrations would be held in countries where Somali refugees settled abroad, as part of efforts to further raise awareness and recognition of the occasion.