DTMDISPLACEMENT EMERGENCY AND RETURNS TO TRACKINGAND AL-BA’AJ DISTRICTS DISPLACEMENT AND RETURNS TO PERIOD COVERED: SINJAR AND AL-BA’AJ DISTRICTS 2 – 16 OCTOBER 2020

*All charts/graphs in this document show total figures for the period of 8 June to 16 October, inclusively.

Between 2 and 16 October 2020, DTM tracked 4,042 individuals (752 families) returning to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj districts in ’s Ninewa governorate. This brings the 30,706 74% 26% total number of individuals that have taken this route to 30,706 (5,736 families) since data collection commenced on 8 June. INDIVIDUALS Returnees Out-of-camp IDPs In this reporting period, the average number of daily individual arrivals was 19 to 5,736 Al-Ba’aj and 250 to Sinjar. While in this period the daily average number of arrivals to Al-Ba’aj is consistent with the overall daily average since 8 June (21), the daily average FAMILIES number of arrivals to Sinjar is higher than the overall daily average since 8 June (217). Moved to Sinjar and 91% 9% This increase in arrivals can be explained by increased assistance being provided to Al-Ba’aj districts to Sinjar to Al-Ba’aj IDPs in returning to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj, as well as reports of greater employment opportunities in these districts compared with the locations in which they had been displaced. Of those individuals who returned between 2 and 16 October, a total of 3,757 were 81% 18% <1% <1% recorded in Sinjar (93%) and 285 were recorded in Al-Ba’aj (7%) – broadly consistent from Dahuk from Ninewa from from with the rates of individuals’ districts of arrival since 8 June. The most common sub-district of arrival was Al-Shamal with 2,173 individuals (54%), followed by Markaz Sinjar with 848 individuals (21%). Together, these two sub-dis- Mostly from Mostly from Al- Mostly from Mostly from tricts comprise 80% of all individuals recorded as having arrived to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj and Sumel districts Shikhan district since data collection commenced on 8 June. Otherwise, 736 individuals arrived to the sub-district of Qaeyrrawan (18%) and 285 arrived to Al-Qahtaniya (7%). Of those individuals identified as returning between 2 and 16 October, 3,405 were recorded as returnees (84%), while the remaining 673 were recorded as out-of-camp 71% 29% IDPs (16%). This represents a deviation from the overall proportion of individuals from camp settings from out-of-camp settings having been identified as returnees (74%) and out-of-camp IDPs (26%) since 8 June.

Map 1. Population Movements to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj districts

INDIVIDUALS BY SUB-DISTRICT OF ARRIVAL Zakho

Dahuk Amedi Sumel Dahuk 15,120 Mergasur

+2,173 Telafar Al-Shikhan 9,531 Tilkaif Soran Choman +848

Shaqlawa 12,947 Al-Hamdaniya Erbil Rania Pshdar 3,371 Sinjar 2,679 8,683 Erbil +736 +285 Koisnjaq 2,394 5 2,635 Ninewa Dokan

Makhmur Al-Qahtaniya Markaz Al-Ba'aj Al-Shamal Markaz Sinjar Qaeyrrawan Al-Ba'aj Sulaymaniyah Dabes Al-Ba'aj Sinjar Sulaymaniya Number of individuals Al-Shirqat To Al-Ba’aj 2 - 1,118 Kirkuk To Sinjar 1,119 - 7,487 District boundary Al-Hawiga 7,488 - 14,443 8 June – 1 October 2 to 16 October Grand Total Governorate boundary

Salah Al-Din Tooz Kalar Anbar Al-Ka'im Ra'ua Additionally, between 2 and 16 October, a total of 3,297 individuals were districts: Al-Shikhan (11% of all individuals) and Tilkaif (3% of all individuals). recorded as departing from Dahuk Governorate (82%) – which is similar with This proportion (16%) of individuals recorded as having come from Ninewa the rates of individuals having departed from there since 8 June (81%). As with between 2 and 16 October is broadly consistent with the overall proportion of all previous rounds, between 2 and 16 October, the majority of individuals individuals recorded as having come from there since 8 June (18%). Otherwise, from Dahuk were recorded as coming from the districts of Sumel (44% of all 59 individuals were recording arriving from (1% of all individuals) and Zakho (32% of all individuals). The remaining individuals from individuals), while 36 individuals arrived from (1% Dahuk Governorate were recorded as coming from the districts of Dahuk (3% of all individuals). of all individuals) and Amedi (3% of all individuals). Since 8 June, almost all individuals have been recorded as having departed from Additionally, between 2 and 16 October, a further 650 individuals were Sumel (51% of all individuals), Zakho (27%), and Al-Shikhan districts (14%). recorded as having come from within Ninewa (16%), mainly from two INDIVIDUALS BY DISTRICT OF DEPARTURE 8 June – 1 October 2 to 16 October Grand Total 15,561

+1,783

8,256 +1,296 4,376 +449 463 551 24 705 3 401 2 180 10 158 12 4 +112 +106 +95 +106 +59 +36 Amedi Dahuk Sumel Zakho Al-Shikhan Mosul Sinjar Telafar Tilkaif Akre Erbil Soran Sulaymaniya Sharbazher Chamchamal Dahuk Ninewa Erbil Sulaymaniyah DISPLACEMENT AND RETURNS TO SINJAR AND AL-BA’AJ DISTRICTS

Between 2 and 16 October, of the 3,757 individuals that arrived to Sinjar from camp settings (71%) compared with 8,872 individuals that have arrived District, 3,217 came from Dahuk Governorate (83%), while 541 came from from out-of-camp settings (29%). within Ninewa (15%), 53 came from Erbil (1%), and 36 came from Sulaymaniyah Between 2 and 16 October, increases were recorded to the number of indi- (1%). Additionally, of the 285 individuals that arrived to Al-Ba’aj District, 170 viduals who had been living in camp settings in their previous districts of came from Dahuk (60%), 109 came from within Ninewa (38%), and six came displacement. The total number of individuals now in Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj who from Erbil (2%). have come from camp settings within Sumel is now 10,793 (up from 9,874), Furthermore, during the same period, a total of 2,407 individuals were recorded while Zakho’s is 6,888 (up from 5,894), and Al-Shikhan’s is 3,605 (up from 3,246). as coming from camp settings (60%), while the remaining 1,635 individuals came In addition, since 8 June, the total number of individuals that have come from from out-of-camp settings (40%). This differs from the rates of individuals coming out-of-camp settings within Sumel is now 4,768 (up from 3,904), while Zakho’s is from different settings since 8 June, as follows: 21,834 individuals have arrived now 1,368 (up from 1,066), and Al-Shikhan’s is 771 (up from 681).

INDIVIDUALS BY TYPE OF LOCATION IN PREVOUS DISTRICT OF DISPLACEMENT (CAMP/OUT-OF-CAMP)

8 June – 1 October 2 to 16 October Grand Total 10,793

+919

6,888

994 4,768

3,605 +864 +359 1,368 771 705 428 485 180 401 +302 +90 35 66 24 +95 3 48 110 12 10 4 2 +99 +13 +36 +70 +59 +106 +74

Camp Out of Camp Out of Camp Out of Out of Out of Out of Camp Out of Out of Out of Camp Out of Camp Out of Out of Out of Camp Camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp camp

Al-Shikhan Amedi Dahuk Erbil Mosul Sinjar Sumel Telafar Tilkaif Zakho Sulaymaniya Sharbazher Soran Chamchamal Akre

NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL ARRIVALS PER DAY

707

616 572 562 519 491

389 382 375 353 369 339 350 258 350 220 221 217 196 207 268 256 258 205 267 248 223 151 205 88 82 145 88 33 54 44 136 62 5 38 56 14 35

8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 1 4 7 10 13 17 21 24 27 30 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 2 5 8 11 14

June July Augus t September October

ADDITIONAL ANECDOTAL NARRATIVE Reasons for returns Assistance and registration

• Reasons for IDPs returning to Sinjar include their emotional desire to • It was reported that the Directorate of national security in Sinjar has estab- go home, as well as the improved security situation in their areas of lished a feedback/ complaint/response mechanism in the form of a hotline origin, while Mukhtars, local NGOs and returnees have also encour- to be used by the new returnees or IDPs willing to return to their areas of aged IDPs to return home. Threats of housing eviction in locations origin in Sinjar. The main purpose of the system is to enable the authori- of displacement is also a factor for those IDPs returning to Sinjar. ties to follow up on emerging issues/complaints, including but not limited Otherwise, the main reason for IDPs returning to Al-Ba’aj also relates to checkpoint related difficulties, as well as reports that some of the newly to their emotional desire to go home, while the availability of services returned individuals occupy buildings that do not belong to them. (i.e. education and health) in their areas of origin is also central to the Challenges faced by returnees decision. • One of the push factors has been COVID-19, in that some families • Debris removal has been noted as an obstacle to return, given the who had a member working in the area of origin and moving back large-scale destruction that was witnessed in Sinjar. and forth between Sinjar and an area of displacement could no longer • There are reports of individuals having returned to areas with limited move easily due to the movement restrictions, which then pushed the basic services such as healthcare, markets, water, and electricity IDPs to return. and having not received assistance. Some of these locations had not witnessed any returns before.

© 2020 International Organization for Migration (IOM) The information in this report is the result of data collected by IOM field teams and complements information provided by governmental and other entities in Iraq. IOM Iraq endeavors to keep this information as up to date and accurate as possible, but makes no claim —expressed or implied— on the completeness, accuracy and suitability of the information provided through IOM Iraq thanks the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, this report. Names and boundaries on DTM information products do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM. 2 Refugees and Migration (PRM) for its continued support.