2026 Summer Internship: Horn of Africa

We're happy you are here. If you are looking to be part of a vibrant, inspiring, mission-driven organization full of thinkers and doers, then read on. If you aspire to apply your research, program, outreach, and documentation skills to a transformational organization, apply for this internship at Refugees International (RI).  We seek great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, and we specifically encourage members of refugee, immigrant, asylum-seeking, or other displaced communities to join us.

We seek a Summer 2026 Intern to focus on the Horn of Africa, community documentation, and humanitarian analysis. You 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.

When you join us, you will be an integral contributor to a non-governmental organization that advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights, and protection for refugees and other displaced people. RI's work on the Horn of Africa focuses on documenting the impacts of conflict, climate shocks, and displacement policies across the region, elevating the experiences of people forced from their homes, and supporting advocacy that advances access to safety, dignity, and durable solutions.

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;

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPECTATIONS

• 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. Lived experience is welcomed but not required;
• 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;

COMPENSATION

$5,000 stipend

TO APPLY
Please include your resume, cover letter, and a one- to two-page writing sample. Applications should be submitted by May 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted by Refugees International.

ABOUT REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL

Refugees International advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights, and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises. We do not accept any government or UN funding, ensuring the independence and credibility of our work.

Refugees International is an equal-opportunity employer committed to promoting a workplace reflective of the people it serves. Refugees International welcomes applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, or other factors.