Section: Population Figures and Profile

Sub-section: Global figures

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Internally displaced population is estimated to be more than 2.8 million (as of July 2008)

• Estimated 2,842,491 people are believed to be internally displaced in Iraq today (figure as of July 2008) provided by the Ministry of Migration and Displacement and Kurdistan Regional Government, and surveillance and data gathering by IDP Working Group. (IDP WG, November 2008)
• The IDP Working Group includes the UNHCR, IOM other UN Agencies and NGOs. Figures of displacement are provided by MoMD and KRG and data gathering and monitoring by IDP Working Group.
• The figure is an accumulated figure. Over 1 million of the total displaced population were displaced over 20 years, in addition to an estimated 190,000 who were displaced in 2003-2005. Since February 2006, an additional 1,630,000 Iraqis have been displaced.
• All figures should be approached with caution given that monitoring is complicated by ongoing insecurity and displacement. Figures do vary due to improved entry of previously registered IDPs in MoDM database, elemination of duplication, and continuing displacement of persons.
• Estimates provided by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society note of 2,1 million people believed to be internally displaced as of June 2008. More than 82 percent of displaced people were women and children under the age of 12. (IRCS, June 2008)
  
  

Estimated total figure for end 2007 based on UNHCR, IOM, IDP Working Group: 2,480,000 (Source: IDP Working Group, February 2008). 1,024,000 people are estimated to have been displaced prior to 2003. Approximately 150,000 were displaced from 2003 to 2005. Inter-communal violence from since February 2006 led to an additional 1,268,000 people being displaced as of December 2007.

Estimated total figure for end 2006 based on UNHCR: 1,884,000 Iraqis displaced by end 2006. The rate of displacement was estimated at 40,000 to 50,000 a month by January 2007. (Source: UNHCR, 8 Januray 2007; Cluster F, 5 March 2007).1,024,000 people are estimated to have been displaced prior to 2003. Approximately 150,000 were displaced from 2003 to 2005. Inter-communal violence from since February 2006 led to an additional 710,000 people being displaced as of end 2006.

Estimated total figure for end 2005 based on IOM and UNOPS monitoring: 1,210,000-1,300,000 Internally Displaced Persons (Source: UNHCR, April 2006; IDP WG, November 2008) The total figure is an accumulated figure based on 1,024,000 people estimated displaced prior to 2003, and an estimated190,000 displaced in 2003-2005. UNHCR, IOM and UNOPS monitor IDP and returnee movements, however monitoring activities are restrained by ongoing insecurity and ongoing displacement.

Internally Displaced Persons Pre-2003 to July 2008 (Number and Locations)*

	Pre-2003 to December 2005	February 2006 to July 2008	Regional Sub-Totals
Northern Provinces	634512	237766	872278
Central Provinces	174360	938566	1112926
Southern Governorates	403236	454051	857287
Grand Total	1212108	1630383	2842491

IDP Working Group, November 2008

Internally Displaced Persons from February 2006 to July 2008

Internally Displaced Persons pre 2003 until end 2005

RCS, June 2008

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.)

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