IOM DISPLACEMENT REPORTS

SPECIAL FOCUS—DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES November 2010

International Organization for Migration (IOM) monitoring and needs assessment field staff are located in every governorate in Iraq. These monitors conduct individual interviews with internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnee families, as well as consult local government and community sources for information on displacement and priority needs.

The disputed territories within Iraq continue to pose a challenge to the country’s long term stability, not least for the families who live within them. Although the security situation in these areas may have improved in recent years, the families who left their homes and those that return to them struggle to rebuild their lives.

KEY FINDINGS

In summary, findings show that compared to Iraq-wide averages, families displaced from the DIBs are: → More ethnically and religiously diverse than elsewhere in Iraq → Nearly 10% more likely to cite food as a priority need → Less likely to live in rented homes (42%) than the nationwide average (71%) and more likely to reside in the houses of hosts, public buildings and tents → Twice as likely to state “direct threats to life” and “generalized violence” as their reason for displacement → More than seven times more likely to cite “armed violence” as their reason for displacement → More likely to be displaced within the same governorate, or to neighboring governorates close to their homes

Returnees in the DIBs are: → Twice as likely to have been displaced outside of Iraq than other returnees in the country → More insecure. When asked about their feelings of personal security, 80% of returnees in the DIBs say they feel safe “only sometimes” compared to just 21% of returnee families across Iraq.

Interviewed Identified Gover- Gover- District IDP District Returnee norate norate Families Families

Diyala Baladrooz 4,230 Diyala Baladrooz 881

Diyala 2,188 Diyala Khanaqin 977

Diyala 454 Diyala Kifri 27

Erbil Makhmur 102 Makhmur 1

Ninewa 1,037 Ninewa Akre 5

Al- Al- Ninewa 2,226 Ninewa 21 Hamdaniya Hamdaniya

Ninewa Al-Shikhan 1,239 Ninewa Al-Shikhan 1

Ninewa 212 Ninewa Sinjar 1

Ninewa Telafar 484 Ninewa Telafar 1115

Ninewa Tilkaif 2,518 Above: An IDP family headed by an unemployed widow Ninewa Tilkaif 4 during an assessment in the Shorjah quarter of city Kirkuk Al-Hawiga 2,566 (photo taken by IOM monitors in September 2010) Kirkuk Al-Hawiga 2032

Kirkuk Dabes 496 Kirkuk Dabes 98

Kirkuk 3,894 Kirkuk Daquq 821

Kirkuk Kirkuk 9,723 Kirkuk Kirkuk 2038

Total 31,369 Total 8,022

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IOM IRAQ DISPLACEMENT REPORTS

SPECIAL FOCUS—DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES November 2010

IRAQ’S DISPUTED INTE RNAL BOUNDARIES IN PERSPECTIVE

Though 2006 marked a sharp increase in the pace of displacement across Iraq due to the TIMELINE sectarian violence following the bombing of the Al-Askari Mosque, the population move- ments in the north were caused by a range of other factors. Many of the „push‟ factors which prompted families in the north of Iraq to leave or return to their homes have their origins further back in the country‟s history. As such, the families displaced in and return- March 1970 ing to the disputed territories represent a complex group of individuals in need. This report Iraqi government and Kurdish uses data by IOM monitors to describe who those families are and how their needs may at parties agree to a peace ac- times differ from those of other displaced families across Iraq. cord, granting the Kurds limited autonomy and recog- The problems of the disputed internal boundaries are rooted in a complex history. The nizing Kurdish as an official brutal suppression by the previous Iraqi regime, most acute during the 1988 “Al Anfal language. Campaign” and the 1991 uprisings, is well remembered by the regions‟ Kurds who were its 1988 principal, but not exclusive, target. Kurds, as well as other non-ethnic Arabs including Turkmen and Assyrians, were systematically targeted and forced into displacement. The "Al Anfal Campaign" led by Iraqi forces against the Since 2003, major progress has been made to resolve differences between groups in the Kurds begins as the Iran-Iraq war ends. Tens of thousands north and achieve some degree of political independence, culminating in parliamentary and of Kurdish civilians and fight- presidential elections last year. Nevertheless, tensions remain between the authorities in the ers are killed, and hundreds of north and those in Baghdad. Though the 2005 Iraqi constitution recognizes the Kurdish thousands forced into exile. Regional Government‟s (KRG) authority over Dahuk, Erbil and , the status of Kirkuk as well as 11 districts in Diyala, Erbil, Ninewa and Salah al-Din remains contest- 1991 ed. Land and property disputes, high levels of unemployment and recent droughts have Uprisings against the Ba’ath exacerbated many of these tensions. party regime take place in Kurdish populated northern Overcoming these challenges is critically important to Iraq‟s future stability. The petroleum Iraq as well as in the south of the country. They are violent- sector is still a central component of Iraq‟s economy, yet the management and develop- ly suppressed resulting in the ment of oil and gas resources, particularly in the KRG, is a constant source of disagree- exodus of over 10% of the ment between the KRG and the Government of Iraq (GoI). Moreover, since the demo- country’s population. Iraqi graphic composition of and demographic changes in these areas are highly charged issues, government forces eventually the disputed internal boundaries have contributed to further delays in the Iraqi census, pre- withdraw from some areas and Kurdish peshmerga forc- viously scheduled for October 2009. Whilst a comprehensive agreement remains elusive, es take control of Erbil and families living in the DIBs must contend with problems of political instability in addition Sulaymaniyah. to the often harsh living conditions. For map detail 1992 The following report is based on IOM assessments please see back A regional government is of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and page established in Iraqi Kurdistan. returnee families living in the regions 2004 defined as “Disputed Internal Boun- The CPA’s Transitional Ad- daries” (DIBs) within Iraq. Identifying ministrative Law defines the which areas are „disputed‟ is itself a co- KRG—demarcated by the ntested question. The families analyzed Green Line—as territories in here were displaced from those areas the govenorates of Dahuk, considered in a recent UN report on Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, DIBs.1 Diyala and Ninewa.

2005 Far from being part of the problem, these families are an essential part of the solution for long-term stability Parliamentary elections are held in the governorates of in Iraq. Without addressing the needs of the families that Dahuk, Erbil and Sulaymani- left their homes in the disputed areas, as well as those that return yah. to them, the area will continue to be as insecure as the families that live within it. 2009 Parliamentary elections are again held in the region, this 1 Further to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1770 and 1830 and their report published in 2009, the United time with separate presiden- Nations has considered the following districts as possible DIBs: Baladrooz, Khanaqin, Kifri, Makhmur, Akre, Al- tial elections. Hamdaniya, Al-Shikhan, Sinjar, Telafar, Tilkaif, Al-Hawiga, Dabes, Daquq and Kirkuk.

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IOM IRAQ DISPLACEMENT REPORTS

SPECIAL FOCUS—DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES November 2010

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES The IOM definition of internal displacement has two distinctive features: 1) the population movement is coerced or involun- tary, and 2) the movement occurs within national borders. Both of these are highly evident in the disputed internal bounda- ries before and after 2003. Since 2003, in the DIBs as elsewhere in Iraq, one year has stood out as being a benchmark in terms of displacement - 2006.

Since 2006, IOM monitors have conducted in-depth assessments of 31,369 families in the areas defined as DIBs, representing approximately 188,214 individuals. Many of these families originally came from Diyala and Baghdad (9,619 and 7,314 respec- tively) which are also the two governorates from which the highest numbers of IDPs originate nationwide. However 6,747 families also come from Ninewa (of which 5,370 are from ) and 4,427 families come from Kirkuk. The fact that so many families were displaced to DIBs from disputed territories or areas close to them reflects the tendency to stay close to areas where familial or tribal support is available. IOM teams in Iraq also state that families who moved to the north during the previous regime and who were displaced by Kurdish forces after 2003 are inclined to stay close to their homes under the hope that at some point they may be able to reclaim these properties. At the time of publication, a new wave of Christian dis- placement is occurring in Iraq, and IOM monitors are reporting these movements both in the DIBs areas and elsewhere in the country. IOM is monitoring the situation and will release in-depth assessments of these newly displaced families. For more information, see the IOM Emergency Needs Assessment “Christian displacement to the North of Iraq”, 29 November.

The families displaced since 2006 come from a range of ethnic and religious backgrounds. Many are Arab Sunni Muslim (38%) or Kurd Sunni Muslim (16%) but significant numbers of families displaced from the DIBs are also Arab Shia Muslim (13%) or Assyrian Christian (13%).

IOM monitors reported last month that incidents such as car bombs and suicide attacks, although less frequent than in previ- ous years, do continue to occur. This is reflected partly in the reasons for displacement which IDP families cite. Families which have been displaced from DIBs are twice as likely as those displaced from elsewhere in Iraq to state “direct threats to life” and “generalized violence” as their reasons for leaving and more than seven times more likely to cite “armed violence”.

Like most IDPs in Iraq, many of those displaced from the DIBs state the intention to return 64.3% 62.5% to their place of origin (45%) or locally integrate in their current location (32%), while just 18% state the desire to resettle in a third location. Analyzing these intentions is crucial to en- suring that IDP needs in the DIBs are addressed in a way which is in-keeping with their de- sires and long-term plans.

46.0% Displaced families in the disputed internal boundaries cite food, access to work and shelter as their most pressing needs. These are also the top three priority needs of IDPs across Iraq, although 64% of displaced families in the 34.4% DIBs cite food as a need compared to 56% across Iraq. This may be due to increased difficulty in securing access to public 28.6% distribution system (PDS) rations in these areas. Water 21.6% is also more likely to be cited as a priority need

Percentage families of citing need in the DIBs than elsewhere in Iraq, and

13.4% is exacerbated by increased water scarcity and drought in recent years.

Priority Needs of IDPs in DIBs 6.6% 1.0%

Food Access to Work Shelter Water Legal help Health Education Other Hygiene Housing is also an immediate concern for many IDPs who have left their homes in the disputed territories. Although 42% of families that spoke to IOM monitors stated that they were renting their accommodation, rising rental costs, together with difficulties in finding employment, mean that incomes are severely stretched to maintain adequate shelter for the family. A further 16% of surveyed families are living in the house of a host while many are living in even more precarious forms of accommodation including collective town settlements (9%), tents near the house of their hosts (6%) and public buildings (5%). These difficult and unpredictable shelter conditions can make secondary displacement more likely. Furthermore, these types of shelter often result in reduced access to basic services such as healthcare, water and education, thereby further in- creasing the vulnerability of these families. 2 2 See IOM report “Internally Displaced Families Living Near Garbage Dump in Mosul” at http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/media/press-briefing-notes/ pbnAF/cache/offonce?entryId=28067

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IOM IRAQ DISPLACEMENT REPORTS

SPECIAL FOCUS—DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES November 2010

RETURNEES TO DISPUTE D INTERNAL BOUNDARIES IOM monitors have identified over 8,000 families in the DIBS areas that have returned to either the same house or the same neighbourhood that they left after 2003. Of these, interviews have been conducted with 978 families, representing 5,868 individuals. Over 60% of the returnee families identified by IOM returned to their homes in the , with the highest concentrations to be found in the district of Kirkuk (see next page). These families cite a number of „pull factors‟ as their motivations to return, including “improved security in their area of origin.” 54% of families state that “very difficult con- ditions in their place of displacement” was an important factor in their decision to return. Half of all IOM-assessed families were dis- placed within the same governorate, while 19% returned from another governorate within Iraq. 1 in 3 returnee families in the DIBs returned from abroad, largely from Syr- ia, Turkey and Iran. Though families have often secured shelter and access to edu- cation before making the decision to return, this does not necessarily mean that they have all the means available to them to restart their lives.

Access to healthcare stands out as a major concern for families returning to their homes in DIBs, with 11% of IOM- assessed returnee families having a member of the family with a chronic illness. IOM monitors in Ninewa and Dahuk re- port that many medical facilities lack the sufficient staff and equipment to provide proper treatment and struggled with the exceptionally hot weather at the end of the past summer. Legal help is also cited as a priority need, a reflection of the high number of property disputes which occur in the disputed territories of Iraq. The Arabization policy under the regime of Saddam Hussein meant that many Arabs were granted land and were encouraged to settle in Kurdish areas. This dec- ades-long conflict has led to tens of thousands of property claims, the vast majority of which remain unresolved.3 Food is a common concern among IDPs, Do you have access to PDS food rations since you returnees and the communities that host returned? them in the disputed internal boundaries. The Public Distribution System (PDS) ra- 79.3% tions which are provided are less readily available in these areas than they are general- 65.0% ly across Iraq. Almost 80% of interviewed returnees in the DIBs report feeling safe only sometimes, 30.7% while this figure is 21% across Iraq. Ad- 14.8% dressing the health, legal and food needs of 5.7% 3.6% these returnee families will likely help to im- prove their feelings of personal security. Not at all % Yes, not regular % Yes regular % Those that were displaced prior to 2003 and returned after 2003 were predominantly Arab DIBs Average Iraq Wide Average (49%) but also Kurd (22%) and Turkmen (20%). Interestingly, more of the families that were displaced prior to 2003 were Sunni (60%) than Shia Muslims (31%), but this is partly because just 33% of these families were Arab Sunni Muslims and the rest were Turkmen or Kurds. 3 See “Property Restitution in Iraq” by Peter Van der Auweraert at http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/%28httpDocuments% 29/48FF3C144E17CBBCC12573DB00500C96/$file/Property+Restitution+in+Iraq+-+Peter+Van+der+Auweraert.pdf

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IOM IRAQ DISPLACEMENT REPORTS

SPECIAL FOCUS—DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES November 2010

KIRKUK IN FOCUS

As the largest contiguous contested area and an entire governorate of Iraq, Kirkuk plays a large role in any analysis of the disputed internal boundaries. IDPs originally from Kirkuk represent 40% of all of those who spoke to IOM monitors in the DIBs. Similarly, families returning to Kirkuk represented 41% of all of the returnees that were assessed in the disputed areas. Administrative control over these IDP families remains a contentious issue due to election events, census activities and fu- ture referenda. When Kirkuk is compared to other contested areas in the north, several trends emerge. Firstly, although the proportion of female-headed households in the DIBs (13%) is relatively similar to the average across Iraq, in districts such as Dabes and Kirkuk this figure rises to over 20%. These families headed by women often face additional legal, economic and social chal- lenges in providing for their families.4 Water is also a more pressing concern in this governorate than elsewhere in Iraq. Over 60% of returnees in the districts of Al Hawiga and Daquq use rivers, streams or lakes as their primary source of water, and 39% of those in the district of Kirkuk state that open or broken pipes provide their main water source.

RETURN INTERNALLY DISPLACED

A family in the Al-Hawiga district of Kirkuk In the of Kirkuk an IDP family sits in their tent Returnees in Kirkuk are the most likely among all of those assessed Half of all of the families displaced from Kirkuk moved to another in DIBs to report that they do not feel safe. With almost 1 in 5 location within the same governorate, while 26% moved instead to families in Kirkuk reporting to have a family member with a chronic Salah al-Din. These IDPs, particularly those from Kirkuk city, are illness, compared to a 10% average across DIBs, returnees in Kirkuk more likely to live in the house of a host and to cite forced also struggle with health issues. Finally, lack of access to PDS rations displacement from property as their reasons for leaving. IDP families in Kirkuk is far worse than elsewhere in the north with 24 families in in Kirkuk also demonstrate a higher inclination to name shelter as a Kirkuk city alone having no access whatsoever. priority need than is average within the DIBS.

4 See IOM Special Report on Female Headed Households, September 2010 available at http://www.iomiraq.net/iomsfreports.html 5

IOM IRAQ DISPLACEMENT REPORTS

SPECIAL FOCUS—DISPUTED INTERNAL BOUNDARIES November 2010

CONCLUSION IOM PROJECT IN A DIS PUTED TERRITORY

Where the boundaries of northern Iraq lie In June 2010, IOM, together with an implementing partner and the remains a highly contested question which Department of Health in Kirkuk conducted assessments of damage affects politics, economics and social rela- to two health clinics in Kirkuk. The first of these, the Al-Salam clinic tions throughout the country. While disa- in the , underwent an extensive renovation of roofs greements remain unresolved between the and lighting. The electricity supply to the clinic was also refurbished, KRG and the government in Baghdad, including resetting the ground around the generators and covering air many vulnerable families continue to face conditioning grates. The refurbishment of the second clinic, Al- the risk of displacement. Khan, was essential for improving the hygiene of services provided

For those families for whom that risk has to patients. Toilets and the sanitation systems that served them were become a reality, lack of food, access to in disrepair and so were replaced, and the water system of the clinic work and legal help have contributed to was repaired. The Al-Khan clinic, which serves the district of Al- low levels of personal security. In areas Hawiga, was also repainted which are under both central and KRG throughout and had floors government administrative control, the retiled. provision of these services becomes an even more complex issue. For example, families in some places in Ninewa are without basic services. This is exacerbated by the fact that often these families do not have one key provider which they can hold accountable for this or present their griev- ances to. IOM monitors report that amidst Al-Khan Public Health Care this, sectarian tensions further complicate Centre Before and After IOM service provision such that displaced and Project returnee Arabs in Kurdish areas often do not receive the same services as do their Both projects were completed in coordination with the Directorate Kurdish counterparts while the same is also of Health in each district and the administration of each clinic. Meet- true of Kurds living in Arab areas. ings were held with the chief engineers of these directorates as well as

While security in the north has been vola- the mayor of Al-Hawiga, members of the local council and the tile, the disputed internal boundaries stand Mukhtar (the elected head of the neighbourhood). out as an area of Iraq where political con- cerns can seep into every aspect of daily life. Property disputes, which have been aggravated by political conflict and the re- sultant administrative ambiguity, have been particularly devastating for families from the north who have no means of knowing whether or not they will be able to successfully reclaim the prop- erty which they lost.

When some of these families do manage to return to their homes and neighbour- hoods, low access to PDS rations and clean water continue to affect their long- term stability. IOM continues to assess the needs of these families as well as their JUNE 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 host communities to help them fulfill their intentions; whether they be to re- Refurbishment of the Al-Salam Public turn, resettle or integrate in their current Health Care Centre location. 6