Summer Internship, Horn of Africa

Refugees International

Intern at Refugees International focusing on Horn of Africa programs with responsibilities in documentation and research. Engaging with humanitarian efforts for displaced communities.

Posted 6/25/2026internshipWashington • District of Columbia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesEntry Level💰 $5,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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;

Requirements

What you’ll need

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;

Benefits

Comp & perks

$5,000 stipend 📊 Check your resume score for this job Improve your chances of getting an interview by checking your resume score before you apply. Check Resume Score

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Hard Skills & Tools

researchwritingdocumentationdata analysisproject managementadministrative skillsstorytellingethical documentation practicescommunity-centered approachesquantitative data

Soft Skills

organizational skillscommunication skillsinterpersonal skillsadvocacyattention to detailteam collaborationflexibilitycritical thinkingproblem-solvingcultural sensitivity