Iraq: Little new displacement but around 2.8 million Iraqis remain internally displaced

Seven years after the March 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq remains deeply divided. There are few prospects of durable solutions for the approximately 15 per cent of the population who are displaced inside and outside Iraq. It is thought that there are almost 2.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs), close to half of whom were displaced prior to 2003. Though Iraq is no longer in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, daily life for all Iraqis is pre-carious. Public health, electricity, water and sanitation services remain inadequate.

The number of civilian casualties fell significantly in 2009 but violence remains endemic. The rate of displacement has fallen with only isolated instances of new displacement. The rate of return of IDPs and refugees did not increase as many had anticipated and no other durable solution for IDPs is promoted by the Iraqi government. Iraqi society remains deeply divided and the neighbourhoods of Baghdad which were most affected by dis-placement are now more ethnically or religiously homogenous than at any time in Iraq’s history. Tensions are high in many areas, particularly in the northern governorates of Kirkuk and Ninewa, and there is rising violence in the run-up to national elections taking place in March 2010.

The Iraqi government has taken steps to address displacement but has proven unable to meet the needs of IDPs or to dedicate the resources needed for them to be able to achieve durable solutions. IDPs have inadequate access to basic services and face considerable obstacles to enjoyment of their rights. Preliminary indicators suggest many IDPs will be unable to vote in coming elections.

The United Nations has increased its presence but its role remains limited. It works in previously inaccessible areas through implementing partners, but it is still constrained by insecurity. International NGOs, remotely managing programmes through local partners, are cautiously increasing their in-country presence but face numerous challenges. In many areas, Iraqi NGOs and faith-based or politically-affiliated agencies have provided assistance where the government has not.