Iraq - The IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) published yesterday, identified 3,195,390 internally displaced Iraqis (532,565 families), from 1 January 2014 through 3 December 2015.

Considering the available information and the DTM methodology, the UN Humanitarian Country Team maintains the humanitarian response planning figures at 3.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Baghdad governorate hosts the largest recorded IDP population, with 18 per cent or 577,230 individuals, followed by Anbar 18 per cent (570,768), Dahuk 13 per cent (409,170), Kirkuk 12 per cent (381,156), Erbil 10 per cent (329,472), Ninewa 7 per cent (220,398) and Sulaymaniyah 5 per cent (162,678).

The majority of IDPs are originally from the governorates of Anbar (44 per cent or 1,394,190 individuals), and Ninewa (33 per cent or 1,063,470 individuals). IOM Emergency Tracking identified 15,054 newly displaced individuals in Ninewa governorate between 12 November and 12 December, due to military operations affecting the area of Sinjar.

As of December 3, 2015, a total of 76,393 families (458,358 individuals) are reported to have returned to their location of origin. Of this total, approximately 54 per cent of returnees (247,932 individuals) have returned to Salah al-Din governorate, 20 per cent (92,352 individuals) returned to Diyala, and 15 per cent (68,958) to Ninewa.

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “We are pleased to see further returns, but distressed that new displacement continues amid armed conflict. New IDPs, the long-term displaced and returnees all require specialized assistance. In cooperation with the UN Humanitarian Country Team, humanitarian partners, government authorities and our donors, IOM will continue to offer aid to displaced Iraqis throughout the country in this difficult situation.”

The DTM information package, including maps of IDP locations and population, and shelter arrangements, has been developed by IOM, in coordination with the UN Humanitarian Country Team, to provide an inclusive update on the situation of IDPs in Iraq. IOM’s DTM aims to monitor displacement and provide accurate data about the IDP population in Iraq.

The most recent IOM Iraq DTM Dataset, Dashboards, Dynamic Displacement Map, and previous DTM products, can be found at: http://iomiraq.net/dtm-page

For further information please contact Sandra Black, IOM Iraq. Tel. +964 751 234 2550, Email: sblack@iom.int  or Laura Nistri, Email: lnistri@iom.int