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Iraq


Country Statistics  
Latest IDP figure:
Number of refugees:
(Originating from the country)
2,279,247 (UNHCR, June 2008)
Total Population:
26,70 million
30 March 2007

A displacement crisis


Iraq_irin_cp
Baghdad rubbish dump is rapidly
becoming a source of income for
IDPs. (© IRIN)
More than 727,000 people are estimated to have been internally displaced due to sectarian and generalised violence in Iraq between February 2006 and March 2007. Together with tens of thousands more displaced by ongoing military operations, and more than one million by the abuses of the former regime of Saddam Hussein, this leads to a total of nearly 1.9 million people currently estimated to be displaced within Iraq. In addition, some 2 million Iraqis fled to neighbouring countries as of March 2007.

Four years after the toppling of the former regime, a new wave of violence and human rights abuses has left large numbers of people dead and caused mass population displacement at an unprecedented scale. Sectarian and generalised violence has been acute in mixed areas, particularly in Baghdad and neighbouring Diyala but other provinces have also been affected. Military operations are causing repeated displacement in Anbar province in the west.

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Access to database

"Causes and Background","Background","Peace efforts","Sectarian Violence","Military Operations","Secondary displacements","Shelling and incursions","Clashes between Kurdish factions","Anfal Campaign","Military incursions and political persecution in the south",""Arabization" policy","Non-conflict induced displacement"
"Population Figures and Profile","Global figures","Geographical distribution","Surveys"
"Patterns of displacement","General"
"Physical Security & Freedom of Movement","Physical Security","Vulnerable groups","Freedom of movement"
"Subsistence Needs","IDP needs in the lower south region","IDP needs in the upper south","IDP needs in Baghdad and Anbar province","IDP needs in central Iraq","IDP needs in the north","General","Food","Health","Water and sanitation","Shelter","Camps and informal settlements"
"Access to Education","General","Obstacles to education"
"Issues of Self-Reliance and Public Participation","Self-reliance","Public Participation"
"Documentation Needs and Citizenship","General"
"Issues of Family Unity, Identity and Culture","General"
"Property Issues","General","Institutions","Law and policy"
"Patterns of Return and Resettlement","Return movements","Obstacles to return and resettlement","Justice","Policy"
"Humanitarian Access","General"
"National and International Responses","Overview","Legal framework and national policy","References to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement"

Previous Profile updates

News 
Fresh hope for 3,000 stranded Palestinian refugees, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), 30 July 2008
Move to prevent children being exploited by militants, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), 29 July 2008
Najaf authorities to weed out bogus IDPs, official says, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), 27 July 2008
Incentives announced to encourage return of IDPs, refugees, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), 20 July 2008
More
Recent reports 
Emergency Needs Assessment Post February 2006 Displacement: Biweekly Report, International Organization for Migration (IOM), July 2008
Internally Displaced People in Iraq: Update 35, Iraqi Red Crescent Organization, 30 June 2008
Iraq After the Surge II: The Need for A New Political Strategy, International Crisis Group (ICG), 30 April 2008
More
FMR -Special issue