Iraqi Red Crescent Organization
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Iraqi Red Crescent Organization The Internally Displaced People in Iraq Update 32 26 March 2008 For additional information, please contact: In Iraq: 1. Iraqi Red Crescent Organization, Secretary General- Mr. Mazin Sallum. email: [email protected] 2. International Relation Department manager [email protected]; Mobile phone: +964 7901669159; Telephone: +964 1 5372925/24/23 In Jordan: Coordinator for Non-Governmental Organizations- Mr. Ahmad Al-Karboli: [email protected]; mobile phone: +962 796484058 Also, visit the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization web site: http://www.iraqredcrescent.org/ The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 32; 26 March 2008 Table of contents BACKGROUND..................................................................................................................................... 2 THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE (IDP) ............................................................................. 2 THE PROBLEMS FACING THE IDP.................................................................................................. 4 ROLE OF THE IRAQI RED CRESCENT ORGANIZATION............................................................ 5 HUMANITARIAN AID DISTRIBUTION IN THE GOVERNORATES.................................................................. 6 THE NEEDS OF THE IRAQI RED CRESCENT TO ASSIST THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE.................................................................................................................................................. 7 IRAQI RC BRANCH REPORTS ON THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE ........................10 1. BAGHDAD ........................................................................................................................................10 2. BASRAH ...........................................................................................................................................13 3. NINAWA...........................................................................................................................................14 4. NAJAF..............................................................................................................................................15 5. KIRKUK ...........................................................................................................................................16 6. KERBALA.........................................................................................................................................17 7. SALADIN ..........................................................................................................................................18 8. DOHUK ............................................................................................................................................19 9. DIWANIYAH .....................................................................................................................................20 10. SULEIMANIAH ................................................................................................................................21 11. ANBAR...........................................................................................................................................22 12. MISSAN..........................................................................................................................................23 13. ERBIL.............................................................................................................................................24 14. BABIL ............................................................................................................................................25 15. THI QAR.........................................................................................................................................26 16. WASSIT..........................................................................................................................................27 17. MUTHANNA ...................................................................................................................................28 18. DIYALA..........................................................................................................................................29 ANNEX 1: NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN IRAQ FOR 2006-2007..........30 Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 1 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 32; 26 March 2008 Background Two years have passed since the bombing of the Holy Shrines in Samara' (February 2006). This incident ignited sectarian and ethnic conflict throughout Iraq on a scale never seen before. Thousands of families fled from their areas seeking refuge in more secure areas. Over two million people became internally displaced and over two million became externally displaced in neighboring countries. These events fractured the integrity of civil order and society in Iraq. Recently, Kurdistan- the safe haven for many Iraqis became involved in armed conflict. Both the Iranian and Turkish military bombarded the border villages with artillery shells for weeks. Thousands of villagers migrated inland for fear of their lives thus compounding the displacement problem in Iraq. Iraq embraced many families from other countries, which underwent difficult situations. These families could not endure the violent situation in Iraq during the past few years. They could not leave Iraq because no other country accepted to receive them and they are living in refugee camps at the Iraqi borders. Many endure difficult living conditions in the desert areas, hoping that some humanitarian organizations will adopt their case and provide them with their human rights and dignity. The Iraqi Red Crescent continues to assess the needs and provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees in the following camps: . Sudanese camp- located 370 km from the center of Anbar governorate. Forty Sudanese families resided in the camp since three years. Ahwasian camp- located at the borders with Jordan (Traibeel area). Al-Waleed Palestinian camp, which shelters more than 292 families. The camp is located in Tanaf area 450 km from the center of Anbar governorate at the Iraqi-Syrian borders. In September 2007, the Syrian authorities started to request all Iraqis to obtain a visa before attempting to travel to Syria. All Iraqis have to pay 50 USD at the borders upon entry, including businessmen and people traveling for humanitarian purposes. Some Iraqi families residing in Syria could not get their residency renewed and others suffered from the high cost of rented apartments and the high cost of living coupled with unemployment. All this had forced many families to return to Iraq. (See Updates on Returnees at http://www.iraqredcrescent.org/reports.html ) The Internally Displaced People (IDP) Internal displacement became a humanitarian crisis since the attack on the Holy Shrines in Samara'. The highest number of IDP was registered in September 2007- 2,299,425 people. By end of January 2008, a total of 126,768 people were registered as returnees, as many had thought that the security situation in some areas in Iraq had relatively improved. On the other hand, some IDP families were forced to return to their original areas of residence by the high cost of living in their host communities. See chart 2 for cumulative monthly numbers of IDP for 2006 and 2007. For additional information on monthly numbers and other distributions see Annex 1. As of end of February 2008, the number of IDP was 2,196,763 people. This is an increase by 24,106 people compared to January 2008. The increase in the number of IDP was registered in seven governorates- Kirkuk, Diwaniyah, Anbar, Erbil, Babil, Thi Qar and Diyala. More than 60 percent of the displaced people were in Baghdad governorate. More than 82 percent were women and children under the age of 12. In addition to being displaced, the majority suffer from disease, poverty and malnutrition. Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 2 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 32; 26 March 2008 Children do not attend schools and are being sheltered in tents, abandoned government buildings with no water or electricity, mosques, churches, or with relatives. (See table 1 and chart 1 for 2008 cumulative monthly numbers of IDP and table 2 for distribution of IDP by governorate) Table 1: Cumulative monthly numbers of Internally Displaced People for 2008 Month % % % Number of families Number of individuals 2008 children women men January 343,025 2,172,657 58.7 24.1 17.2 February 345,734 2,196,763 58.6 24.1 17.3 Chart 1: Cumulative monthly numbers of IDP for 2008 2,200,000 2,190,000 2,180,000 Number of individuals 2,170,000 2,160,000 January February Table 2: Distribution of Internally Displaced People by Governorate Governorate Number of Number of % % % families individuals children women men 1. Anbar 9,642 54,451 47.1 29.6 23.2 2. Babil 9,487 60,544 42.8 30.6 26.6 3. Baghdad 206,556 1,364,131 65.6 21.1 13.3 4. Basrah 5,707 34,172 40.1 32.8 27.0 5. Diwanyah 3,455 20,804 31.2 35.2 33.6 6. Diyala 9,456 56,736 45.7 29.7 24.5 7. Dohuk 18,710 111,501 40.0 32.0 28.0 8. Erbil 9,747 38,141 47.7 28.9 23.4 9. Kerbala 5,985 39,756 54.0 27.1 18.9 10. Kirkuk 4,383 19,882 61.7 20.3 18.0 11. Missan 6194 43,394 42.5 31.5 25.9 12. Muthanna 794 5,131 47.2 27.2 25.6 13. Najaf 5,980 41,861 25.0 40.0 35.0 14. Ninawa 15,860 66,068 44.0 31.6 24.4 15. Saladin 13,552 111,503 65.5