Summary of Key Return Updates Bi-Weekly Sitrep 6
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Summary of Key Return Updates Bi-weekly SitRep 6: 16 – 30th October 2020 Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Salah Al-Din, Ninewa, Kirkuk, Anbar, Diyala, Baghdad General Updates Camp Closures • During October, a series of announcements were made regarding the imminent closure of camps. A number of camps have since closed. IDPs were given limited notification, with many facing challenges with clearances for movement, securing shelter post-departure and, in some cases, facing rejection from communities leading to secondary displacement. More information in subsequent sections below. • RWG, OCHA, CCCM, DTM and NPC continue to track returns, identify needs upon return and support efforts towards local integration. • Further closures are expected in phases, including by the end of November, end of December and in the first quarter of 2021. • There has been extensive engagement by senior UN leadership to engage with MOMD in seeking clarity over plans and discussing ways to ensure that returns can be voluntary, dignified and sustainable. MoMD Updates: • On 5th October, the MoMD minister announced the consolidation of Arbat camp into Ashti camp. A formal letter was issued by MoMD on 8th October, following the national MoMD instructions. • On 18th October 2020, the MoMD minister announced the closure of Al-Ahl IDP camp and Al-Shams informal settlement in Abo Ghareeb after the return of 172 IDP HHs (860 individuals) to their AoOs in Ramadi, Qaim, Haditha, Ana and Amiriyat Al-Falluja districts in Anbar governorate. • On 21st October 2020, the MoMD minister announced the closure of Nabi Younis IDP camp in Baghdad, mentioning that the residents of the camp returned to their AoOs in Mosul, Tal Afar and Hamdaniyah districts in Ninewa. The announcement did not mention the exact number of returnees and simply stated that MoMD provided transportation to those IDPs in coordination with the Ministry of Transportation after obtaining all the required security approvals. On the same day, the MoMD minister announced the closure of Kerbala IDP camp after the return of all its residents (560 individuals) to their AoOs in Mosul and Tal Afar districts in Ninewa governorate. • 0n 26th October 2020, the MoMD minister announced the closure of Saad camp in Diyala after the return of all its residents to their AoOs. The announcement added that 45 HHs returned to Baquba, 29 HHs to Khanaqeen, 10 HHs to Muqdadiyah in Diyala in addition to 5 HHs to Salah al-din and one household to Ninewa. • On 26th October 2020, the MoMD announced the return of 29 IDP HHs (128 individuals) from HTC camp to their AoOs within Anbar governorate as part of the voluntary return process. The Director General of Branches Mr. Ali Jahagir confirmed that these HHs returned to Ramadi, Rutba, Heet, and Jazaerat Al-Khaldiyah. He added that the ministry will facilitate the return of more IDPs in the coming days after securing the security clearance for them from the relevant security authorities in coordination with the local government of Anbar and the Ministry of Transportation. 1 Summary of Key Return Updates • On 28th October 2020, the MoMD minister announced that both Baghdad and Kerbala governorates are free of camps. The statement was made jointly with the chair of the displaced and labor parliamentary committee Mr. Ra’ad Al-Dahlaki during the announcement of MoMD’s plan to facilitate the return of IDPs to their AoOs. The minister also mentioned that more camps will be closed soon in Anbar and Salah al-din, adding that returnees from these camps will be provided with in-kind assistance for the first year from the date of their arrival to AoOs and will also be prioritized for receiving the return grant. She called on the authorities in the Kurdistan region to facilitate the return of IDPs in Hasan Sham and Al-Khazir camps to their AoOs. • On 28th October 2020, the MoMD minister announced the return of 393 IDPs (89 HHs) from Al- Khazir to their AoOs in Ninewa governorate as part of the voluntary return process that MoMD is facilitating in Iraq. She added that a new group of 393 IDPs have returned to their AoOs in Al-Intisar, Rayhaniyah, Nahrawan, Jadaa, Ba’aj, Rajim Al-Hadeed, Sumar, Rabea, Guer, Muhalabiyah and Tal Afar in Ninewa governorate. The announcement mentioned that more batches of voluntary returns will be facilitated in the coming few days after completing the security clearance for IDPs with intention to return with the relevant security authorities. National Plan • As mentioned in the previous bi-weekly sitrep, on 6th October, the Minister of Migration and Displacement (MOMD) welcomed the minister of Planning (MOP) at the MoMD HQ to discuss the initial draft of a national plan for solving protracted displacement. The discussion highlighted the main obstacles to return, the required allocations to address these obstacles as well as the roles and responsibilities of different governmental entities in this regard. In addition, the meeting discussed the potential and required coordination with different security entities as well as the international community to implement the plan. The plan itself is designed to address five different issues identified as the main obstacles to return during the recent intention survey carried out by MoMD, which are: o Security and Political o Reconciliation and Social Peace o Infrastructure and public services o Supporting the economy and creation of job opportunities o Shelter rehabilitation and housing support • On 28th October 2020, DSTF representatives met with Director Generals from the Ministry of Planning to seek clarification on the progress of drafting the national plan. The initial outputs of the meeting confirmed that the plan is still under drafting and would be shared for inputs.MOP is leading the drafting of the plan which will have a component relating to camp closures while also more broadly focusing on wider conditions in areas of origin. 2 Summary of Key Return Updates Anbar – Baghdad Returns • On 14th October, 105 HHs in Al-Shams informal settlement and 67 HHs in Al-Ahl IDP camp were given two days-notice to depart. All households have now left the camp for their areas of origin in Al- Qaim, Al-Rummanah, Ramadi, Garma and Falluja, with 44 HHs remaining in the vicinity. The camp is now vacant and both sites were handed over to local authorities of Abo Ghareeb by CCCM actors. • Baghdad-Anbar PWG reported that on the evening of 18 October, at least 8 buses with IDPs from Al-Ahl camp and Al-Shams informal settlement crossed the Al Soqour checkpoint at the border of Baghdad governorate and Fallujah district, Anbar, with the majority of families headed to Ramadi, Fallujah, Al Garmah and Al-Qaim districts. At the checkpoint, Anbar Operations Command (AOC) confiscated the national ID of every head of household. Families were informed that they would receive their IDs in their areas of origin and/or at Al-Habbaniyah Military Base near Ramadi. Lack of IDs created multiple challenges for convoys when proceeding to subsequent checkpoints across the governorate. • Families traveling to Al Qaim district spent the evening at the Kilo 35 settlement and another night in Al-Obaidi before reaching their final destinations in Al-Qaim and Rummanah. Eventually, partners reported the return of 34 HHs to their AoOs within the districts. The returnee families reported access to food, cash and protection as their top urgent needs whereas access to adequate shelter and livelihood opportunities were the short-term needs reported by the same families to RWG field staff. • As of 22 October, at least 37 families entered Al Garmah district through the main checkpoint. Partners reported that five families were denied entry into the district and remained at the checkpoint. Security actors informed these families that their homes fall under the Baghdad Operations Command’s area of responsibility, and thus families require an official permission to enter despite possessing a letter from MoMD that they were returning due to camp closure in Baghdad • IDPs noted immense frustration with the sudden development. Some HHs reported that they consider the returns forced because they were not provided enough notice and that they do not have sufficient shelter in their area of origin and/or face tribal/social issues, in addition to lacking access to basic services and/or livelihoods opportunities. • A lack of coordination among MoMD, Baghdad Operations Command, Anbar Operations Command and Al-Jazeera Operations Command resulted in significant delays, additional security screenings and hardship for IDPs, who often had no access to food, water and sanitation facilities during long waiting periods at checkpoints. • No COVID-19 mitigation measures were witnessed during movements. However, RWG consulted with local administrative units in the AoOs to push them into applying the required measures upon arrival of IDPs, but no measures were applied as the convoy arrived after midnight. • It was reported that almost 29 HHs and 10 HHs from Al-Shams informal settlement and Al-Ahl IDP camp have settled in the vicinity of both settlements. A meeting on 4th October between the Mayor of Abu Ghraib and humanitarian partners indicated that local authorities agreed that some families from Al Shams camp engaged in livelihoods opportunities could remain in the Abu Ghraib area. At the 13 October Baghdad GRC meeting, a representative of Baghdad Operations Command reported 3 Summary of Key Return Updates temporary housing cards would be issued for IDPs who choose to remain in Abu Ghraib as a temporary solution. • On 24th October 2020, Anbar GRC Chair (Mazin Al-Dulaimi) informed OCHA that 32 IDP HHs will depart the HTC camp in Anbar to their AoOs during the next three days. The HHs’ AoOs are located within the Anbar Operations Command`s (AOC) areas of responsibility, and none of those families are from Western Anbar.