Iraq - The IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), published yesterday (19/11), identified 3,181,176 internally displaced Iraqis (530,196 families) from 1 January 2014 through 5 November 2015.

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

The governorates hosting the largest IDP populations are: Anbar 18 per cent (573,450 individuals), Baghdad 18 per cent (568,140), Dahuk 13 per cent (418,152), Kirkuk 12 per cent (381,036), Erbil 10 per cent (331,068), Ninewa 6 per cent (205,344), and Sulaymaniyah 5 per cent (162,468).

From a regional perspective, Central-North Iraq hosts 67 per cent of IDPs (2,130,246 individuals), the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) 29 per cent (911,688), and South Iraq 4 per cent (139,242).

The majority of IDPs are originally from Anbar governorate (43 per cent or 1,381,494 individuals) and Ninewa governorate (33 per cent or 1,058,682 people). Displacement is still ongoing. IOM identified an additional 10,848 individuals displaced in Ninewa between 12 and 18 November.

During the month of October a decrease in the number of IDPs was observed across 13 of 18 governorates. A significant decrease has been reported in the governorates of Kirkuk (20,244 individuals, or 5 per cent of the IDP population in the governorate) and Salah al-Din (12,558 individuals or 8 per cent of the IDP population in the governorate). The decrease is due to ongoing return movements in both governorates, as IDPs are returning to their location of origin.

As of 5 November 2015, a total of 440,364 individuals are reported to have returned to their location of origin. The highest number of returns have been to Salah al-Din governorate (242,196 individuals), Diyala (91,752 individuals) and Ninewa (11,820). Within Ninewa, returns are primarily to the northern districts of Telafar and Tilkaif, due to improved security conditions.

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “The return of displaced Iraqis is encouraging, but many returnees find their homes damaged and a lack of services in their neighborhoods. These populations require a tailored and comprehensive response. IOM is working together with the UN Humanitarian Country Team, humanitarian partners, government authorities and our donors to provide for the specific needs of returnees, current and newly displaced IDPs and host communities.”

IOM Iraq recently published 12 Governorate Profiles that provide information on displacement, shelter type, intentions and needs of the IDP population. Profiles are available for the governorates of: Anbar, Babylon, Baghdad, Basra, Dahuk, Diyala, Erbil, Kirkuk, Missan, Ninewa, Sulaymaniyah and Thi-Qar. The reports can be found at: http://iomiraq.net/allreports

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