Friday October 13, 2017
Ambassador Mohamed Abdi Affey © UNHCR
On 27 September 2016, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, appointed Ambassador Mohamed Abdi Affey as Special Envoy for the Somali Refugee Situation.
He said, “The path towards stability and prosperity in Somalia must include solutions for Somalis in exile through the region,” adding that the Special Envoy would assist UNHCR to maximize efforts in the search for solutions for Somali refugees and asylum seekers at national and regional levels.
The Special Envoy’s main role is to enhance dialogue between the Governments of asylum countries, the Federal Government of Somalia and the international community, and renew efforts to find durable solutions for Somali refugees, while ensuring that asylum is preserved for those in continued need of international protection.
Ambassador Affey’s is also tasked to support efforts to mobilize humanitarian and development resources for the reintegration of Somali returnees in a manner consistent with the Government of Somalia’s national development plans and regional priorities.
Ambassador Affey is based in Nairobi and travels extensively within the region, including to Djibouti,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Yemen. He works in close coordination with UNHCR’s Regional Bureau Director for Africa, and his efforts complement and support, at the regional level, those of UNHCR in the concerned
This is the report he and his team have prepared