Leaving My homeland A Refugee’s Journey from Somalia Linda Barghoorn Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com
Somalia’s flag Leaving Somalia There has been fighting in Somalia for more than 25 years Different clans or tribes have been fighting for power over the country This has made Somalia a very dangerous place to live It is often called a failed state This means that the government is too weak to run the country It cannot keep its people safe Refugee camps like this one are home to thousands of Somali refugees UN Rights of the Child Every child has rights Rights are privileges and freedoms that are protected by law Refugees have the right to special protection and help The United Nations UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a document that lists the rights that all children should have Think about these rights as you read this book Somalia is also one of the poorest countries Frequent droughts have destroyed crops and livestock This means that there is often not enough food to feed Somali people Many people have been forced to flee their homes to escape either starvation or violence Some have tried to find safety in other parts of Somalia They are internally displaced persons IDPs 4
Red Sea Eritrea Yemen Sudan Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Djibouti Ethiopia Somalia Indian Ocean Kenya Mogadishu Somalia is on the Horn of Africa the most eastern part of Africa Somalia shares borders with Kenya Ethiopia and Djibouti More than two million people have fled Somalia Most live as refugees in camps in neighboring African countries Refugees are people who flee their homeland to escape war or other unsafe conditions Refugees are different from immigrants Immigrants chose to leave to look for better opportunities in another country Refugees often have no choice They must leave to stay alive 5 Food and water can be in limited supply at refugee camps Women carry heavy containers of water that they collect from a well near the camps
