Iraqi Red Crescent Organization
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Iraqi Red Crescent Organization The Internally Displaced People in Iraq Update 35 30 June 2008 For additional information, please contact: In Iraq: 1. Iraqi Red Crescent Organization, Secretary General- Mr. Mazin Sallum. email: [email protected]; [email protected] 2. International Relation Department manager [email protected]; [email protected] Mobile phone: +964 7901669159; Telephone: +964 1 5372925/24/23 In Jordan: Coordinator for Non-Governmental Organizations- Mr. Ahmad Al-Karboli: [email protected]; [email protected]; mobile phone: +962 796484058 Also, visit the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization web site: http://www.iraqredcrescent.org/ The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 35; 30 June 2008 Table of contents BACKGROUND AND HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT ....................................................................... 2 THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE ....................................................................................... 2 ROLE OF THE IRAQI RED CRESCENT ORGANIZATION............................................................ 4 HUMANITARIAN AID DISTRIBUTION IN THE GOVERNORATES............................................. 5 THE NEEDS OF THE IRAQI RED CRESCENT TO ASSIST THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE.................................................................................................................................................. 6 IRAQI RC BRANCH REPORTS ON THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE ......................... 7 1. KIRKUK ............................................................................................................................................ 7 2. KERBALA.......................................................................................................................................... 8 3. SALADIN ........................................................................................................................................... 9 ANNEX 1: NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN IRAQ FOR 2006-2007..........10 ANNEX 2: CAMPS ESTABLISHED BY THE IRAQI RED CRESCENT TO SHELTER INTERNALLY DISPLACED FAMILIES............................................................................................11 Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 1 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 35; 30 June 2008 Background and humanitarian context By end of May 2008, the number of Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Iraq was 2,169,920. This marked a decrease by 3,234 people compared to April 2008. The Iraqi Red Crescent Organization registered changes in the numbers of IDP in three governorates- Kirkuk, Kerbala and Saladin. The humanitarian crisis in Iraq resulting from the displacement problem continues. Thousands of families were displaced from their areas since the bombing of the Holy Shrines in Samara' (February 2006). Over two million people became internally displaced and over two million became externally displaced in neighboring countries. Thousands of displaced families became heavily dependant on humanitarian aid, which had intensified the growing humanitarian crisis. According to an assessment carried out by the World Food Program in 2007, some 55 percent of the displaced families were unable to get their food rations provided under Iraq’s Public Distribution System (PDS) due to various difficulties including the transfer of their ration cards to their new place of residence. The highest number of IDP was registered in September 2007- 2,299,425 people. Please see background information on monthly cumulative numbers of IDP and other distributions for 2006 and 2007 in Annex 1. Recently, Kurdistan- the safe haven for many Iraqis became involved in armed conflict. Both the Iranian and Turkish military bombarded the border villages with artillery shells for weeks. Thousands of villagers migrated inland for fear of their lives thus compounding the displacement problem in Iraq. The latest incident took place on 25 April 2008 in Erbil, where there was bombardment of the border villages in Sida area. Disaster response activities of the Iraqi Red Crescent in the area included distributing relief aid and temporarily sheltering the displaced families in safe areas. Also, in Suleimaniah, the Iranian military bombarded the border villages which caused displacement of families to Bashdar. The Iraqi Red Crescent provided the IDP with food and relief aid. Iraq embraced many families from other countries, which underwent difficult situations. These families could not endure the violent situation in Iraq during the past few years. They could not leave Iraq because no other country accepted to receive them and they are living in refugee camps at the Iraqi borders. Many endure difficult living conditions in the desert areas, hoping that some humanitarian organizations will adopt their case and provide them with their human rights and dignity. The Iraqi Red Crescent continues to assess the needs and provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees in the following camps: . Sudanese camp- located 370 km from the center of Anbar governorate. Forty Sudanese families resided in the camp since three years. Ahwasian camp- located at the borders with Jordan (Traibeel area). Al-Waleed Palestinian camp- located in Tanaf area 450 km from the center of Anbar governorate at the Iraqi-Syrian borders. The camp shelters more than 292 families. The Internally Displaced People In May 2008, the total cumulative number of IDP was 2,169,920 people- a decrease by 3,234 people compared to April 2008. There were changes in the numbers of IDP in three governorates- Kirkuk, Kerbala and Saladin (see table 3 for details). More than 82 percent of displaced people were women and children under the age of 12. (See table 1 and chart 1 for 2008 cumulative monthly numbers of IDP and table 2 for distribution of IDP by governorate.) Table 1: Cumulative monthly numbers of Internally Displaced People for 2008 Month/2008 Number of families Number of individuals % children % women % men January 343,025 2,172,657 58.7 24.1 17.2 February 345,734 2,196,763 58.6 24.1 17.3 March 348,613 2,225,363 58.4 24.3 17.3 April 334,446 2,173,154 59.2 23.1 17.7 May 334,029 2,169,920 59.2 23.1 17.7 Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 2 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 35; 30 June 2008 Chart 1: Cumulative monthly numbers of IDP for 2008 2,240,000 2,220,000 2,200,000 Number of individuals 2,180,000 2,160,000 2,140,000 January February March April May Table 2: Distribution of Internally Displaced People by Governorate for May 2008 Governorate Number of Number of % % % families individuals children women men 1. Anbar 9,642 54,451 47.1 29.6 23.2 2. Babil 9,487 60,544 42.8 30.6 26.6 3. Baghdad 190,113 1,279,761 68.8 18.8 12.9 4. Basrah 5,707 34,172 40.1 32.8 27.0 5. Diwanyah 3,435 20,706 31.2 35.2 33.6 6. Diyala 9,456 56,736 45.7 29.7 24.5 7. Dohuk 18,710 111,501 40.0 32.0 28.0 8. Erbil 9,747 38,141 47.7 28.9 23.4 9. Kerbala 5,300 35,124 54.1 27.1 18.8 10. Kirkuk 4,415 20,053 61.7 20.3 18.0 11. Missan 6,990 55,576 37.6 37.7 24.6 12. Muthanna 794 5,131 47.2 27.2 25.6 13. Najaf 6,112 42,784 25.0 40.0 35.0 14. Ninawa 15,860 66,068 44.0 31.6 24.4 15. Saladin 16,983 153,481 52.1 26.9 21.0 16. Sulaimaniyah 8,867 62,068 42.9 31.4 25.7 17. Thi qar 2,521 14,283 50.5 26.1 23.4 18. Wassit 9,890 59,340 58.9 22.7 18.4 Total 334,029 2,169,920 59.2 23.2 17.7 Table 3: Changes in the numbers of IDP in three governorates compared to April 2008 Number of IDP Governorate Increase / decrease (%) April May 1. Kirkuk 19,882 20,053 0.9 % increase 2. Kerbala 39,756 35,124 11.7 % decrease 3. Saladin 152,254 153,481 0.8 % increase Many IDP families do not consider returning to their original areas of residence because their homes were destroyed or because they do not think that security is really enforced. Others want to return to their homes as they could not integrate in their host communities or because they live in unstable areas. Displaced families continue to face problems related to health, education, shelter, income, food, water and electricity. Health services are inadequate. The problem is compounded by shortage of medicines and medical supplies. Most displaced people who suffer from chronic diseases have lost their medication cards. Many diarrhea, cholera and typhoid cases have been registered as a result of using contaminated water. Iraqi Red Crescent Organization; Disaster Management Department 3 The Internally Displaced People in Iraq; update 35; 30 June 2008 Most IDP families use the municipality water, water tankers or donated water from the humanitarian organizations. Others use unsafe water from wells, rivers and lakes and water running from damaged pipes. Many IDP pupils dropped out of schools as a result of the economic situation of their families and difficulties in transferring their official documents to the schools in their new neighborhoods. The Ministry of Education facilitated the transfer of the documents of the IDP children to the schools in the host communities to bring children back to schools. However, schools in the areas that received big numbers of IDP became overcrowded. In addition, it was noted that many female pupils did not go back to schools due to the poor economic situation of their families or because they are needed to assist at home. The Iraqi Red Crescent had a distinguished role in assisting IDP children in transferring their official documents from one governorate to the other and in admitting them to schools. The increase in the cost of rented apartments in the secure areas, especially in the northern and southern governorates, made it difficult for many IDP families to obtain appropriate shelter. Some IDP families live with their relatives- this had negatively affected the living conditions of the host families; but many others are sheltered in abandoned public buildings, which lack water, electricity and sanitation facilities. Few IDP families are living in camps/tents that lack services and basic means for living. For the majority, work opportunities are scarce in the host communities.