The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that a total of 71,175 Somali refugees have been repatriated to Somalia since the inauguration of the voluntary process in December 2014.
In a status report released today, the humanitarian body said 905 refugees (569 by road and 336 by flight to Kismayo and Mogadishu) were assisted to voluntarily repatriate to Somalia between mid and end of February.
The body adds that currently, there are up to 16,325 refugees in the UNHCR database who have registered their intention to repatriate to Somalia voluntarily.
The first camp in Dadaab was first established in 1991 after war broke out in Somalia leading to several Somali citizens seeking refuge in neighboring Kenya. Somalia has been battling the al Shabaab who seek to seize power and establish sharia law and have been responsible for the disarray in the country.
