2026 Summer Internship: Horn of Africa

Refugees International•Washington, DC

2d•$5,000•Onsite

About The Position

Refugees International (RI) is seeking a Summer 2026 Intern to focus on the Horn of Africa, community documentation, and humanitarian analysis. This internship offers an opportunity to apply research, program, outreach, and documentation skills within a mission-driven organization. The intern will support RI's work to document the experiences of refugees, internally displaced people, returnees, host communities, advocates, service providers, and others affected by displacement crises across Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The role involves contributing to a non-governmental organization that advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights, and protection for displaced people. RI's work in the Horn of Africa focuses on documenting the impacts of conflict, climate shocks, and displacement policies, elevating the experiences of those forced from their homes, and supporting advocacy for safety, dignity, and durable solutions.

Requirements

Be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student, or have recently graduated within the past year.
Seek the internship as part of an educational experience related to the program in which you are enrolled.
Have a strong interest in the Horn of Africa, displacement and migration policy, refugee protection, community documentation, storytelling, human rights, and humanitarian affairs.
Have familiarity with conflict-driven displacement, regional protection frameworks, community-based advocacy, or archival/storytelling work.
Have strong research, writing, organizational, communication, and administrative skills.
Be interested in ethical documentation practices, including oral histories, digital evidence, written accounts, quantitative data, and community-centered approaches to preserving lived experience.
Be based within the United States.
Work at least 250 hours, as guided by RI staff.
Begin in late May 2026 and end no later than late August 2026.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience is welcomed but not required.

Responsibilities

Support RI's documentation and research related to the Horn of Africa, including the Sudan war, displacement in Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, and their impacts on refugees, internally displaced people, host communities, and the organizations that serve and support them.
Track project tasks, organize research materials, maintain shared research documents, support follow-up, and help coordinate ongoing project needs.
Monitor relevant developments in the Horn of Africa, including conflict dynamics, regional protection frameworks, climate-driven displacement, and community-based responses to humanitarian crises.
Draft short memos, summaries, background materials, outreach language, and other written products as needed.