Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 Assessment Report on The Humanitarian Situation in Sinjar District Center after Liberation Prepared By EADE Sinjar District Center, Iraq December, 2015 Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 Background Sinjar District also known as Shingal, located 120 km to the West of Mosul with coordinates 36° 19′ 21″ N, 41° 51′ 51″ E (36.3225, 41.864167). The town is mainly inhabited by Yazidi, Arab and Assyrian. In August 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant launched an offensive in Northern Iraq and pushed into Kurdish held areas of the Nineveh Province, capturing the city of Sinjar, among others. In what is known as the Sinjar massacre, 2,000–5,000 Yazidis were killed in and around Sinjar, while 200,000 civilians fled to Sunoni (Al‐Shamal Sub‐District), Dohok, Zakho, Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Derak in Syria. Amongst these, some 50,000 Yazidis fled to the Sinjar Mountains, located to the city's north, where they were facing starvation and dehydration. By the end of August, the majority of these 50,000 Yazidis were able to leave the mountains through a corridor opened by Kurdish forces, although several thousand stayed there. While ISIL held onto Sinjar city and the southern entrance of the Sinjar Mountains, they seized further terrain north of the mountains on 21 October 2014, thereby cutting the area's escape route to Kurdish areas. Yazidi militias who were securing the holy Sherfedîn shrine, had to withdraw into the Sinjar Mountains. The number of Yazidi civilian refugees was estimated at 2,000–7,000. In the course of a first, six‐day‐long offensive in December 2014, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga took control over a part of the city of Sinjar and parts of the mountains, and expanded their offensive on to Tal Afar. Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 Once ISIL recognized lose control of these locations is close, they started to plant many IEDs on the main streets of the Sub‐Districst, meantime they blew many houses belong to Yazidi and Arab leaving the city in dire situations. On 12 November 2015, over 7,500 Kurdish fighters, backed by the US‐led coalition, began their offensive to retake Sinjar. The U.S. and British Special Forces were also participating in the offensive. ISIL counter‐attacked in the western part of Sinjar, while hundreds of Peshmerga were waiting to be deployed in battle. Kurdish forces had secured the wheat silo, cement factory, hospital and several other public buildings in the northern part of the city, with reports that ISIL had fled Sinjar prior to the offensive. However, a Peshmerga official expressed his concern about possible suicide bombers remaining within the city. Kurdish forces also secured 150 square kilometres (60 square miles) of territory around Sinjar from ISIL. On the morning of 13 November 2015, the operation's second day, a Kurdish force including Syrian Kurdish YPG forces and Gerila forces of the HPG advanced to the city center from the west. There they were joined by Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces advancing from the east, including the Iraqi Kurdish Zeravani and independent Yazidi forces subsequently, a stream of armed personnel carriers, Humvees, SUVs and light trucks were moved into the city. With a U.S. A‐10 aircraft circling over the city, they took control of the city. Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 Details of IDPs Families According to gender (As in the date after ISIL Control) Total No Total No of No of No of No of of IDPs Individuals Female Male Children Families 52000 312000 103000 93600 115400 No of IDPs according to gender 140000 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 No of Female No of Male No of Children Details of Returnees Families According to gender (As in December, 2015) Total No of Total No of No of No of No of Returnee Individuals Female Male Children Families 2128 12768 4210 3870 4688 No of returnees according to gender 37% 33% No of Female No of Male 30% No of Children Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 General Current Situation: On December 2015, Engineering Association for Development & Environment (EADE) after coordination with the security forces and the local authority in Sinjar District center, conducted an assessment in Sinjar to assess the humanitarian situation and identify humanitarian needs that require urgent attention. Entry into Sinjar is controlled by the Peshmerga forces and is currently not allowed for non‐Sinjar people; entry is only permitted for Yazidi & Sheaa from Sinjar. The people entering Sinjar are moving out their houses furniture to areas outside Sinjar. Sinjar is currently considered a military zone and is undergoing mines cleaning operations and removal of IEDs by the Peshmerga forces. Many of whom have been exposed to explosive incidents during exercise. On Dec 2, 2015 seven members of the Peshmerga forces were killed after an IED exploded in one of the houses. The current situation of people in Sinjar can be described by a view of destroyed buildings and houses and no means of life. The families whom inhabited originally in the south of Sinjar Mountain now are living in tents inside the Mountain for never liberating their villages and complexes, while other families inhabited originally in the north of Sinjar Mountain were returned to their own houses after liberation. Generally, 88% of Sinjar city recorded as destroyed places including houses and general facilities and services project. Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 Returnees families will be still in fear of any probable attack may be made by ISIL or going back to the military conflicts which will affect and obstruct the humanitarian activities and infrastructure rehabilitations. % of Damage in the Infrastructure According to the Sector 100 90 90 90 90 80 70 60 Damage 40 30 of 20 % 00 0 0 00 0 Schools Agriculture Health Electricity Water Municipality Infrastructure Sector Humanitarian Intervention: According to a local official source in Sinjar, the international humanitarian organizations and other agencies during the displacement period have not active or vital interventions to cover the IDPs needs. The local NGOs were not presented in this location as a source of humanitarian aids distribution. Their activities were only limited in preparing assessments and report for IDPs needs. The most active organization was Yazda organization as nonprofit organization which ensure distribution of tents, food parcels, caravans and other requirements. It is important to have immediate interventions to provide immediately the necessary needs of Sinjar people to encourage people to return back and prevent their immigrating outside Iraq which began widely in a sharp mode among Yazidi families. EADE is one of local organizations who was continuously submitting reports on the current situations in Sinjar area. Some of these reports were previously submitted to UNHCR and other United Nation Organizations to follow the detailed number of returnees, losses of damages in the Governmental & private sector properties, through detailed reports prepared by EADE staff after their deep communications and interaction with all parties of concerns in Sinjar, the local governments, tribal heads and security forces. Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 High level efforts of coordination and funding resources is required to meet the urgent humanitarian response for Sinjar IDPs/returnees. This should be exercised by keeping an active and permanent contacts with POC supported by understanding and coordination between the humanitarian organizations, donor organizations, local government and security forces to success a practice of reconstruction Sinjar city. Assessment Resources for EADE: EADE reports and data were mainly based on the direct contacts with the official local Government and administration staff and IDPs/returnees families in Sinjar. The activities included also conducting interviews and visits to the IDPs shelters and discussions to reach to their suffering and needs. It included also visiting to IDPs farms and other works places to exercise free individual atmosphere in order to collect real data away from any kind of embarrassments. EADE mission in Sinjar center including in Al‐Nasser, Yarmook & others quarters; some of the pictures were taken in Sinjar Mountain in Saradashti area. Engineering Association for Development and Environment (EADE) [email protected] Iraq-009647701614471 Jordan-00962796216727 Observation & Recommendation of Urgent Needs 1‐ Houses/Shelters Item No Status Recommend Intervention Damaged houses 11000 Partially (20%) damaged Light rehabilitation: glasses, paint, windows, due to arson. doors, sanitation & electricity. Damaged houses 40000 Completely (100%) Building of new houses. damaged by explosions. Vulnerable houses 51000 Completely Robbed by Compensation of owners & supply furniture. ISIL (100% of furniture) Housing project 1 Completely (100%) Building of new housing complex. (flats) under damaged