WASSIT IOM Displacement Assessments GOVERNORATE PROFILE SEPT 2009
IOM IDP AND RETURNEE ASSESSMENT Iraq has a long history of displacement, JULY 2009 culminating most recently in the February 2006 bombing of the Samarra Al-Askari WASSIT: DISPLACEMENT AT A GLANCE Mosque. Due primarily to sectarian violence, 1.6 million people were internally Governorate Statistics 1 displaced, chiefly in 2006 and 2007, Total post-Feb 2006 IDPs 12,883 families (est. 77,298 individuals) 2 2 according to government figures. Total pre-Feb 2006 IDPs 2,030 families (est. 12,180 individuals) Number of post-Feb 2006 IDPs 15,793 families (est. 94,758 individuals) 3 assessed by IOM IOM field monitoring teams assess the Returnees4 123 families (est. 738 individuals) varying needs and challenges of IDP and Capital Kut returnee communities across the eighteen Districts Al-Hai, Al--Na’maniya, Al--Suwaira, Badra, Kut Iraqi governorates. These comprehensive assessments of internally displaced persons Population5 1,064,950 individuals (IDPs) and returnees are conducted through Rapid Assessment questionnaires in conjunction with Iraqi authorities and other Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Wassit governorate face harsh national and international actors. conditions as displacement prolongs. The vast majority (90%) have no members employed, and 12% of IDP families in the governorate live in IOM seeks to ascertain and disseminate informal collective settlements or public buidings. Many are still in search of detailed information about IDP and a job and dependable housing. returnee needs and conditions in each governorate. A greater understanding of Wassit IDP families fled Baghdad and Diyala during 2006 and 2007 sectarian displacement and return in Iraq is intended violence and military operations. More than half of Wassit IDPs say they to facilitate policy making, prioritizing areas plan to integrate into their current host communities, where many have of operation, and planning emergency and traditional and familial ties already. Very few IDP families in Wassit say they long-term responses.
would like to return home. Instead, families need assistance to successfully To date, IOM has assessed 223,898 IDP integrate or to resettle in new locations. families and identified 55,007 returnee families. Of these returnee families, 3,679 Quick Facts on Wassit IDPs & Returnees have participated in IOM in-depth needs assessment interviews. Unless otherwise stated, all data in the profile is based on ¾ Slightly more than 98% IOM-assessed populations.
of IDPs in Wassit are Shia IOM’s Recommendations for Arab families. Projects in Wassit
¾ The majority of Wassit Installing a transformer, six IDPs (68%) were displaced columns, and cables to provide a from Baghdad. Another 29% constant and reliable source of are displaced from Diyala electricity to the Somaia primary school for girls ¾ Very few Wassit IDPs (8%) plan to return to their governorate of origin
Place of Origin – Wassit IDPs
1 As per the Ministry of Displacement and Migration. 2 As per IOM Phase II Monitoring, December 2005. 3 Please note that this is the number of post-February 2006 IDPs assessed by IOM, not the total number of IDPs in the governorate. IOM Iraq’s Joint Operations Cell maintains a 4 As per IOM Returnee Assessments, July 2009. database of project recommendations 5 Estimate for the year 2007based on MoP (COSIT) through MoDM, Summary Results IDP Registration – submitted by IOM field monitors and others February 2006 to March 2008, p. 15. working in Iraq. Email:
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
WASSIT’S DISPLACED PERSONS: WHO ARE THEY? Number of IDPs in Wassit by District District Number Percentage The vast majority of Wassit IDPs are Shia Arab families who fled of Families sectarian violence in Baghdad and Diyala governorates in 2006 and Total 15793 100% 2007. Most IDPs reside in the governorate’s capital of Kut. Kut 9469 60.0% Al-Suwaira 2803 17.7% IOM-assessed IDP families in Wassit fled due to general violence and Al-Hai 1975 12.5% military operations, and a significant portion received direct threats to Al-Na'maniya 1294 8.2% their lives. 80% believe that they were targeted due to their religious Badra 252 1.6% identity.
IDP Governorate of Origin Most of the pre-2006 IDP population in Wassit arrived after the fall Baghdad 67.6% of the former regime. The number of Marsh Arabs in this region is Diyala 29.3% comparatively lower than its neighbors. Many of these IDPs are Salah al-Din 1.0% returning from Kurdish areas, having been relocated there as part of Anbar 0.9% Saddam Hussein’s Arabization campaign. They are now considered Babylon 0.7% secondarily displaced. Other 0.5%
IDP & Returnee Locations in Wassit. Religion and Ethnicity in Wassit See final page for detail. District Arab Shia Arab Sunni Kurd Shia Muslim Muslim Muslim Total 98.2% 0.1% 0.2%
Al-Hai 98.4% 0.8% 0.0%
Al-Na'maniya 99.2% 0.0% 0.8%
Al-Suwaira 99.5% 0.0% 0.0% Badra 96.0% 0.0% 0.0% Kut 97.7% 0.0% 0.1%
Reasons for Being Targeted Wassit All Iraq Generalized Violence 77.2% 84.8% Direct threats to life 23.6% 10.9% Armed conflict 4.4% 5.1% Forced Displacement from Property 1.5% 4.8% Left out of Fear 1.2% 1.3%
Monthly Displacement to Wassit Since 2006
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2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008
< 2/ 4/ 6/ 8/ 2/ 4/ 6/ 8/ 6/ 10/ 12/ Date of Displacement
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
WASSIT: IDP DEMOGRAPHICS Percentage of Female Headed Households (by district) District Percentage Due to the nature of the sectarian violence in Iraq and conditions Total 8.5% of displacement, a number of IDP households in Wassit are Al-Hai 8.5% headed by women, totalling 9% of all IDP households governorate-wide, and reaching as high as 13% in Al Suwaira Al-Na'maniya 6.7% district. Female-headed households are among the most Al-Suwaira 12.5% vulnerable IDP families, as they often have no steady income and Badra 9.5% cannot advocate for themselves with regard to social and Kut 7.6% bureaucratic issues.
The majority of IDP families assessed by IOM in Wassit say that they do not wish to return to the homes from which they fled. As is the case with other southern governorates, 52% wish to stay and integrate permanently into their current host communities. This means that finding permanent housing and gainful employment are essential to successfully doing this. Another 39% wish to resettle in a third location.
Only 8% of IDPs assessed by IOM in Wassit report that they intend to return to their places of origin. Given an acceptable security situation and access to basic necessities, those that wish to return would do so in Baghdad in Diyala governorates. Specifically, return in Baghdad would be to Abu Ghraib and Karkh districts.
Wassit IDP Settlement Intentions Of those that intend to return, to District Locally integrate in Resettle Return to their Waiting on one which governorate would you the current location in a third place of origin or several return? location factors to make Baghdad 65.4% a decision Diyala 34.6% Total 51.5% 38.5% 8.1% 2.0% Al-Hai 73.9% 21.5% 3.6% 0.9% Al-Na'maniya 57.8% 20.9% 15.5% 5.8% Al-Suwaira 56.3% 38.5% 5.1% 0.0% Badra 44.8% 25.0% 30.2% 0.0% Kut 44.6% 44.8% 8.2% 2.4%
RETURN AND RETURN POTENTIAL IN WASSIT
The majority of post-2006 displacement originates from Returnee numbers in Wassit by District Baghdad, Diyala, Ninewa, and Anbar governorates, and District Number of Percentage these locations are also the focus of return and potential Families future return. There was very little post-2006 displacement Wassit total 123 100.0% originating from Wassit, and thus there is little potential for Al-Hai 8 6.5% return or current return. Al-Na'maniya 6 4.9% Al-Suwaira 77 62.6% To date, IOM monitors have identified 123 returnee families, Kut 32 26.0% as seen to the right. These returnees all identify difficult conditions in their place of displacement, as well as increased security in Wassit, as contributing factors to their return. IOM assessments identify a lack of food and essential non-food items as the primary needs of Wassit returnees.
Furthermore, there are 540 IOM-assessed IDP families originally from Wassit that continue to be displaced throughout Iraq. Of these families, 237 families state that they intend to return to Wassit in the future.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
WASSIT’S DISPLACED PERSONS: LIVING CONDITIONS AND PRIORITY NEEDS Employment Wassit All Iraq At least one member of the 10.6% 32.8 % family has a job IDP families in Babylon are primarily concerned with finding None of the members has a 89.4% 67.2 % employment opportunities, as the lack of income makes it difficult job to sustain displacement or to integrate, depending on their intentions. 89% of IDP families do not have a family member that PDS Access Wassit All Iraq is formally employed. Not at all 8.7% 20.1% Sometimes 39.2% 46.2% Most IDP families identify having some access to PDS rations, Yes, always 52.1% 33.6%
although the frequency varies widely depending on location within Electricity Wassit All Iraq the governorate. Access to electricity also varies by location. No Electricity 11.9% 4.8% 1-3 hours per day 39.8% 31.2% 46% of IDP families in Wassit are renting their housing, while Four or more hours per day 41.8% 63.2% another significant portion live in the home of a host family or relative. 12% of IDP families in the governorate live in informal Water Source Wassit All Iraq collective settlements or public buidings. These locations are Municipal water (underground 78.3% 88.8% vunerable to eviction and poor health conditions. pipes) Water tanks / trucks 32.1% 26.1% Public Wells 3.5% 11.3% Along with access to employment and food, Wassit IDPs cite, Rivers, streams or lakes 11.9% 12.5% shelther, water, and health as priority needs. Open / broken pipe 10.0% 12.1% Other Sources 0.6% 3.4%
Living Structure (by district) District Collective town Former Military camp Public building Host Rented Other settlement house house Total 9.6% 0.1% 2.5% 20.9% 45.6% 21.4% Al-Hai 1.8% 0.5% 2.7% 26.0% 47.6% 21.4% Al-Na'maniya 2.3% 0.0% 2.2% 23.1% 50.1% 22.3% Al-Suwaira 9.7% 0.0% 4.6% 22.2% 45.6% 17.8% Badra 21.4% 0.0% 0.0% 10.7% 12.7% 55.2% Kut 11.9% 0.0% 1.9% 19.4% 45.4% 21.4%
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INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
ADDRESSING IDP AND RETURNEE NEEDS
IOM Iraq’s Joint Operations Cell (JOC) works to mitigate emergency needs while looking at sustainable measures such as income-generating activities as part of the transition from relief to recovery.
April 2008 –Emergency Support of Medical Supplies to Hospitals This project provided emergency units in the Wassit general hospital with locally purchased essential medicines and first aids supplies.
These medical implements were specified by the department of health to counterbalance shortages due to increased fighting and the corresponding influx of patients to emergency rooms.
IOM Ongoing and Recently RECOMMENDED FUTURE PROJECTS IN WASSIT Completed Projects in Wassit
IOM’s Joint Operations Cell (JOC) maintains a database of project October 2008 – Supported 40 recommendations submitted by IOM field monitors and others business start-up projects in Al- working in Iraq. Along with those on the first page, the following are Hai and Al-Namaniya areas also applicable to Wassit:
December 2008 – Trained 100
women in vulnerable ¾ communities to be Traditional The construction of a mobile health clinic in Kut village and the Birth Attendants implementation of a health training program to promote disease prevention March 2009 – Provided material and planning support for returning IDPs ¾ The rehabilitation of houses and shelters for 30 IDPs in Al- Shuhada village in Kut district March 2009 – Distributed essential non-food items for 1200 IDP, Returnee, and vulnerable host community families ¾ The installation and repair of water pipes and generators in Kani Ongoing – Providing proper Plavi village. hygiene awareness to children aged 8-16 through four youth centers
Please note that displacement and return are occurring on a continuous basis, and IOM strives to update this information as frequently as possible. Through its monitoring and needs assessments, IOM has also developed periodic displacement updates, yearly and mid-year reviews, returnee needs assessments, and other reports. For these and information on the IOM’s needs assessment methodology, see http://www.iom-iraq.net/idp.html.
For further information on IDPs and returnees in Iraq, please contact Rex Alamban, Head of IOM Iraq Joint Operations Cell at [email protected] or Liana Paris, IOM Monitoring Officer, at [email protected] (+962 6 565 9660 extensions 1067 and 1033).
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
IOM DISPLACEMENT MONITORING WASSIT– IDP and Returnee Locations, AUGUST 2009 AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS 45°0'0"E 46°0'0"E
Hay Al Shuhda'a Legend IDP_Places 1- 99 Diyala 100 - 499 Iran Baghdad 500 - 999 Zurbatiya 1000 - 1999 Badrah 2000 and more
Badra g Returnee locations 33°0'0"N Taj al-dien 33°0'0"N Markaz al-hafriyah Jassan Hay al-shuhada'a As Suwayrah Al Aziziya
Al-Suwaira
Zubaydiyah Origin of IDPs in the governorate Al-quds Wassit Musahiyah Halab
Na`is Al-hido al-khatabiyah Saiyid Hashim Shaykh Sa`d Hamzah Hay al-damok Hay al-damok Hay al-miwadhafien Al-ahrar Hay al-jawadain Al-'izah Kut `Ubud al Husayn Hay al-mu'alimen Sultan Hay Al Sadrain ( Dojaili- Al- Wafdin ) Kut Babylon Al Amir Hay al-'irobah 14 tamuz Al-Na'maniya
Al Mazalim Al Muwaffaqiyah
Hay Al Askari Al-huriyah Al Hayy Al-Hai Hay al-shuhada'a
Zibon redha Najaf Qadissiya Al-khaliej al-arabi 32°0'0"N 32°0'0"N Mis san Thi-Qar
45°0'0"E 46°0'0"E