Iraqi Red Crescent Organization The Internally Displaced People in Iraq Update 26 16 September 2007 For additional information, please contact: In Iraq: 1. International Relation Department manager [email protected]; Mobile phone: +964 7901669159; Telephone: +964 1 5372925/24/23 2. Disaster Management Department manager [email protected]; Mobile phone: +964 7703045043; Telephone: +964 1 5372925/24/23 In Jordan: Amman Coordination Office: [email protected]; Mobile phone (manager):+962 796484058; Mobile phone (deputy manager): +962 797180940 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 26; 31 August 2007 Background Iraq has been through multiple wars and oppression for over three decades. Towards the end of 2003 and 2004, Iraq became the battle ground and regional arm conflict to settle scores with different factions. Insurgents bombed the Holy Shrines in Sammarra in March 2006. This attack ignited sectarian and ethnic arms conflict throughout Iraq on a scale never seen before. Thousands of Shiites had fled Sunni areas and vice versa. Christians also fled from Sunni areas to Kurdistan. These recent events, in addition to decades of severe oppression and sanctions fractured the integrity of the civil order and society in Iraq. Recently in Kurdistan, the safe haven for many Iraqis became involved in armed conflict too. Both the Iranians and Turkish military were bombarding the border villages with artillery shells for days and weeks. Thousands of villagers left their homes and migrated inland for fear of their lives thus compounding the refugee problems in Kurdistan. The Oxfam Organization reported that there are eight million Iraqis in need of urgent help. This number constitutes one third of the population in Iraq. Two million of those Iraqis are internally displaced throughout Iraq. Two million Iraqis are externally displaced in a number of neighboring countries. As of 31 August 2007, more than 77 percent of the internally displaced Iraqis were women and children under the age of 12 (see table 1 and 2, and chart 1 and 2 for detailed data). In addition to their plight as being displaced, the majority suffer from disease, poverty and malnutrition. Children do not attend schools and are being sheltered in tents, abandoned government buildings with no water or electricity, mosques, churches, or with relatives. The Iraqi Red Crescent Organization (Iraqi RC) thus has a mammoth task to alleviate the suffering of this vast number of Iraqis. The Iraqi RC continues to be the only effective relief agency able to work throughout Iraq with little or any problem. The Iraqi RC has 5,000 employees throughout Iraq with 300 offices or representatives and 95,000 volunteers. The following updated statistics on the Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Iraq was compiled by the Disaster Management Coordinators in the eighteen Iraqi governorates in cooperation with the army of Iraqi RC volunteers. The Iraqi RC statistics showed that the number of IDP increased by 71.1 percent in August. The vast majority of this increase (96.4 percent) was in Baghdad governorate (see table 3 for distribution of IDP by governorates). Also, children constituted 51.3 percent of total IDP- a 12.6 percent increase since 31 July 2007. Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 2 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 26; 31 August 2007 Table 1: Monthly increase in the numbers of Internally Displaced People for 2007 Month % % % Number of Families Number of individuals 2007 children women men January 85,368 447,337 36.5 33.2 30.3 February 99,714 498,916 37.8 33.0 29.2 March 106,779 575,773 38.5 32.6 28.9 April 116,032 852,310 33.9 34.8 31.3 May 140,607 1,024,430 37.0 33.1 29.9 June 142,260 1,037,615 37.5 32.8 29.7 July 152,002 1,128,086 38.7 31.9 29.4 August 282,672 1,930,946 51.3 25.8 22.9 Chart 1: The number of internally displaced people per month for 2007 2500000 2000000 P D I f 1500000 o r e b IDP m 1000000 u N 500000 0 y y h il y e y t r r c r a n l s a a r p u u u u ru a A M J J g n b M u a e A J F Month Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 3 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 26; 31 August 2007 Table 2: Monthly increase in the numbers of Internally Displaced People for 2006 Month % % % Number of families Number of Individuals 2006 children women men March 6,615 46,409 39.5 29.9 30.6 April 11,879 87,300 44.6 32.0 23.4 May 19,138 125,169 41.9 31.1 27.0 June 23,450 149,772 41.9 31.3 26.8 July 28,027 174,056 41.2 31.5 27.3 August 32,409 191,169 42.0 33.9 24.1 September 42,255 358,537 28.2 37.2 34.6 October 54,728 447,214 30.4 36.2 33.4 November 65,703 380,213 40.2 31.9 27.9 December 75,943 408,319 39.4 32.0 28.6 Chart 2: the number of internally displaced people per month for 2006 500000 450000 400000 350000 P D 300000 I f o r 250000 IDP e b m u 200000 N 150000 100000 50000 0 l t r r r r h ri y e ly s e e e rc p a n u u e M u J g b b b b a A J u m to m m M A te c e e p O v c e o e S N D Month Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 4 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 26; 31 August 2007 Table 3: Distribution of Internally Displaced People by Governorate No. Governorate Number of Number of % % % families individuals children women men 1 Kirkuk 3,644 16,881 63.5 19.3 17.3 2 Muthanna 1,263 7,956 47.6 27.1 25.3 3 Thi qar 2,250 13,127 46.7 28.1 25.2 4 Diwanyah 5,064 30,597 30.1 34.0 36.0 5 Basrah 3,478 17,738 46.3 30.4 23.3 6 Mousil 15,063 239,547 25.2 37.1 37.7 7 Kerbala 5,120 20,402 46.4 27.5 26.1 8 Diyala 4,668 28,159 26.4 38.6 35.0 9 Babil 7,573 58,417 52.5 25.3 22.1 10 Najaf 5,110 35,770 25.0 40.0 35.0 11 Duhok 9,055 65,056 20.5 39.7 39.9 12 Missan 7,100 96,975 28.6 42.9 28.6 13 Wassit 8,946 53,676 58.8 22.7 18.5 14 Anbar 12,500 97,934 39.5 30.7 29.9 15 Saladin 14,174 120,678 63.1 20.1 16.8 16 Baghdad 169,666 969,827 63.2 20.1 16.7 17 Erbil 1,940 13,580 42.9 29.5 27.6 18 Sulaimaniyah 6,058 44,626 67.9 12.5 19.6 Total 282,672 1930946 51.3 25.8 22.9 Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 5 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 26; 31 August 2007 Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 6 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 26; 31 August 2007 The problem of the Internally Displaced People Several factors contribute to the hardships and worsening situation of the Internally Displaced People (IDP). Firstly, people forcefully abandoned their homes as a result of the escalating military operations and the infighting between different political factions. Secondly, becoming displaced, they were un- welcomed in their new neighborhoods. Hosting communities fear job competition and draining of the already depleted resources. Thirdly, families left their homes and properties carrying with them few personal belongings, which resulted in increased poverty and vulnerability. Facing these circumstances, some displaced families were displaced again. Some families were even displaced for three times. Different governorates took measures that restricted the settlement of IDP within their area. For example Kerbala governorate received only the IDP originally born in Kerbala; same in Najaf governorate. Shelter is a major problem. The IDP may be classified into five categories according to shelter: ! Families who dwelled with relatives: This has been causing more problems to the host families. Houses become over populated when a displaced family resides with relatives. Also, both families may suffer from shortage of food. ! Families who sheltered in governmental buildings: These families are exposed to mortar attacks and suffer from lack of essential services, food, water and electricity. In addition, there is the risk of unexploded ordinance or bombs in these buildings. It is important to mention these IDP families may be evicted at any time. ! Families who rented apartments: These families are suffering from extreme raises in rent costs as a result of increasing demand. ! Families who built mud houses on vacant lands: This action had encouraged their relatives to do the same. This is a violation of the law, as these mud houses are built on land that does not belong to the IDP families. Some IDP started occupying empty houses, which is also illegal. ! Families who are being sheltered in the Iraqi RC tents set-up in a number of mosques to accommodate displaced families. Displacement resulted in major changes in the population demography.