DTMDISPLACEMENT EMERGENCY AND RETURNS TO SINJAR TRACKINGAND AL-BA’AJ DISTRICTS DISPLACEMENT AND RETURNS TO PERIOD COVERED: SINJAR AND AL-BA’AJ DISTRICTS 8 JUNE – 17 SEPTEMBER 2020 *All charts/graphs in this document show total figures for the period of 8 June to 17 September 2020, inclusively Between 22 August and 2 September 2020, DTM tracked 3,278 individuals (644 families) returning to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj districts in Iraq’s Ninewa governorate. 22,263 71% 29% This brings the total number of individuals that have taken this route to 22,263 INDIVIDUALS Returnees Out-of-camp (4,153 families) since data collection commenced on 8 June. IDPs In this reporting period, the average number of daily individual arrivals was 198 to 4,153 Sinjar and 21 to Al-Ba’aj. This is consistent with the overall daily average number FAMILIES of arrivals since 8 June; however, it is significantly higher than the daily averages Moved to Sinjar and 91% 9% recorded in the month of August (133 to Sinjar and 13 to Al-Ba’aj). The higher Al-Ba’aj districts to Sinjar to Al-Ba’aj number of arrivals in September can be explained by increased assistance that is being provided to IDPs in returning to Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj districts. Of those individuals who returned between 3 and 17 September, a total of 2,966 80% 19% <1% <1% were recorded in Sinjar (90%) and 312 were recorded in Al-Ba’aj (10%) – broadly consistent with the rates of individuals’ districts of arrival since 8 June. from Erbil from Sulaymaniyah from Dahuk from Ninewa The most common sub-district of arrival was Al-Shamal with 1,855 individuals (57%), followed by Markaz Sinjar with 723 individuals (22%). Together, these two Mostly from Zakho Mostly from Al- Mostly from Mostly from sub-districts comprise 81% of all individuals recorded as having arrived to Sinjar and Sumel districts Shikhan district Erbil district Sulaymaniyah district and Al-Ba’aj since data collection commenced on 8 June. Of those individuals identified as returning between 3 and 17 September, 2,892 were recorded as returnees (88%), while the remaining 386 were recorded as 76% 24% out-of-camp IDPs (12%). This represents a deviation from the overall proportion from camp settings from out-of-camp settings of individuals having been identified as returnees (71%) and out-of-camp IDPs (29%) 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 Mergasur 10,389 +1,855 Telafar Al-Shikhan Akre 7,613 Tilkaif Soran Choman +723 Shaqlawa Al-Hamdaniya Erbil Rania Pshdar Sinjar Erbil 8,534 Mosul 6,890 Koisnjaq 2,072 2,189 Ninewa Dokan +312 Sharbazher +388 Makhmur Al-Ba'aj 1,760 1,801 Sulaymaniyah Dabes Sulaymaniya Hatra Al-Qahtaniya Al-Shamal Markaz Sinjar Qaeyrrawan Kirkuk Number of individuals Al-Shirqat Chamchamal 3 - 740 To Ba’aj Kirkuk 741 - 4,359 To Sinjar Al-Hawiga Daquq Al-Baaj Sinjar District boundary 4,360 - 8,575 8 June – 2 September 3 – 17 September Grand Total Governorate boundary Salah Al-Din Tooz Kalar Anbar Baiji Al-Ka'im Ra'ua Haditha Tikrit Additionally, between 3 and 17 September, a total of 2,676 individuals were recorded as having come from within Ninewa (16%), mainly from two districts: recorded as departing from Dahuk Governorate (81%) – which is similar with Al-Shikhan (13% of all individuals) and Sinjar (2% of all individuals). This propor- the rates of individuals having departed from there since 8 June (80%). As with all tion (16%) of individuals recorded as having come from Ninewa between 3 and previous rounds, between 3 and 17 September, the majority of individuals from 17 September is slightly lower than the overall proportion of individuals recorded Dahuk were recorded as coming from the districts of Sumel (57% of all individ- as having come from there since 8 June (19%). Otherwise, 52 individuals were uals) and Zakho (21% of all individuals). The remaining individuals from Dahuk recorded arriving from Sulaymaniyah Governorate (2% of all individuals), while 19 Governorate were recorded as coming from the districts of Dahuk (3% of all indi- individuals arrived from Erbil Governorate (1% of all individuals). viduals) and Amedi (1% of all individuals). Since 8 June, almost all individuals have been recorded as having departed from Additionally, between 22 August and 2 September, a further 531 individuals were Sumel (52%), Zakho (25%), and Al-Shikhan districts (15%). INDIVIDUALS BY DISTRICT OF DEPARTURE 11,518 8 June – 2 September 3 – 17 September Grand Total +1,874 5,621 +672 3,442 +429 292 396 548 262 24 +56 3 59 10 72 12 4 +46 +84 +46 +19 +48 Amedi Dahuk Sumel Zakho Al-Shikhan Mosul Sinjar Telafar Tilkaif Erbil Soran Sulaymaniya Sharbazher Chamchamal Dahuk Ninewa Erbil Sulaymaniyah DISPLACEMENT AND RETURNS TO SINJAR AND AL-BA’AJ DISTRICTS Between 3 and 17 September, of the 2,966 individuals that arrived to Sinjar, 2,434 from camp settings (76%) compared with 5,338 that have arrived from out-of- individuals came from Dahuk Governorate (82%), while 472 came from within camp settings (24%). Ninewa (16%), 41 came from Sulaymaniyah (1%), and 19 came from Erbil (1%). Between 22 August and 2 September, increases were recorded to the number Additionally, of the 312 individuals that arrived to Al-Ba’aj, 242 came from Dahuk of individuals who had been living in camp settings in their previous districts of (78%), 59 came from within Ninewa (19%), and 11 came from Sulaymaniyah displacement. The total number of individuals now in Sinjar and Al-Ba’aj who (3%). have come from camp settings within Sumel is now 8,560 (up from 7,531), while Furthermore, during the same period, a total of 2,100 individuals were recorded Zakho’s is 4,882 (up from 4,318), and Al-Shikhan’s is 2,876 (up from 2,504). as coming from camp settings (64%), while the remaining 1,178 individuals came In addition, since 8 June, the total number of individuals that have come from from out-of-camp settings (36%). This differs from the rates of individuals coming out-of-camp settings within Sumel is now 2,958 (up from 2,113), while the total from different settings since 8 June, as follows: 16,925 individuals have arrived that have come from this setting within Zakho is now 739 (up from 631). INDIVIDUALS BY TYPE OF LOCATION IN PREVOUS DISTRICT OF DISPLACEMENT (CAMP/OUT-OF-CAMP) 8 June – 2 September 3 – 17 September Grand Total 8,560 +1,029 4,882 +564 2,876 2,958 +372 +845 566 739 371 292 274 59 256 262 48 +57 18 25 24 3 +108 24 12 10 4 +46 +84 +19 +37 +19 +46 Camp Out of camp Camp Out of camp Camp Out of camp Out of camp Out of camp Camp Out of camp Camp Out of camp Out of camp Out of camp Camp Out of camp Camp Out of camp Out of camp Out of camp Camp Al-Shikhan Amedi Dahuk Erbil Mosul Sinjar Sumel Telafar Tilkaif Zakho Sulaymaniya Sharbazher Soran Chamchamal NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL ARRIVALS PER DAY 707 616 562 572 447 488 401 434 372 389 351 359 339 301 284 220 258 209 215 190 248 173 214 290 268 268 264 196 151 161 99 82 82 33 88 207 33 41 38 161 38 129 20 92 54 4 5 19 58 19 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 18 21 23 25 27 29 31 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 June July August September ADDITIONAL ANECDOTAL NARRATIVE Reasons for returns to be used by the new returnees or IDPs willing to return to their areas of • Reasons for IDPs going home to Sinjar include the improved security origin in Sinjar. The main purpose of the system is to enable the authori- situation, the clearing of mines/IEDs, and the rehabilitation of public ties to follow up on emerging issues/complaints, including but not limited infrastructure. Mukhtars, local NGOs and returnees have also encour- to checkpoint related difficulties, as well as reports that some of the newly aged IDPs to return home. returned individuals occupy buildings that do not belong to them. • One of the push factors has been COVID-19, in that some families who had a member working in the area of origin and moving back Challenges faced by returnees and forth between Sinjar and an area of displacement could no longer • Debris removal has been noted as an obstacle to return, given the move easily due to the movement restrictions, which then pushed the large-scale destruction that was witnessed in Sinjar. IDPs to return. • There are reports of individuals having returned to areas with limited basic services such as healthcare, markets, water, and electricity Assistance and registration and having not received assistance. Some of these locations had not • It was reported that the Directorate of national security in Sinjar has estab- witnessed any returns before. lished a feedback/ complaint/response mechanism in the form of a hotline © 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.