With about half of Iraq's 15 Central and Southern governorates
reportedly turning away newly displaced people from internal
borders unless they can prove they originated from there, the
displacement crisis in the country is taking on a new urgency,
according to IOM.

An estimated 740,000 people have been internally displaced in
Iraq since the bombing of the Al-Askari shrine in February 2006,
with IOM monitoring and assessing the needs of nearly 400,000 of
them.

In its latest update on internal displacement in Iraq, the
Organization reports that the governorates of Babylon, Basrah,
Kerbala, Muthanna and Thi-Qar are now only allowing displaced
people (IDPs) in if they originally came from these areas while in
Kirkuk such an order has been issued but not as yet enforced. In
Najaf, IDPs are now barred from going to Najaf city, while the
over-saturation of IDPs in Ninewa means the governorate is no
longer a viable destination for people fleeing violence and seeking
assistance.

"There is no doubt that nearly 14 months of non-stop new
displacement on top of the 1.2 million people displaced in Iraq
before February 2006 has placed a great strain on host families,
existing infrastructure and social services in these governorates.
However, those fleeing violence and threats need assistance
urgently, as do host communities," said Rafiq Tschannen, IOM's
Chief of Mission for Iraq. "If they can't get it inside Iraq, they
will end up becoming refugees in neighbouring countries which are
already sheltering about two million Iraqis and greatly
stretched."

In some places, such as Diyala, badly affected by the conflict
in Iraq, there are increasing reports of young women being forced
to marry into host families or to insurgents in order to allow a
displaced family to stay.

IDPs in places like Baghdad also face the threat of eviction
from illegally occupied homes or buildings abandoned by other
displaced people.

The security situation in various parts of Iraq is affecting the
movement of IDPs. In Anbar, clashes between insurgents and security
forces in addition to an increasing number of tribal conflicts make
it hard for IDPs to move. Such conditions, along with the resulting
security enforcements, are also having an impact on IOM monitors,
who are finding it even more difficult than usual to do their
work.

IOM monitors visit IDP community leaders, local NGOs, local
government bodies, and individual IDP families to assess a number
of issues and needs, including food, healthcare, water and
sanitation, documentation, and property, and the future intentions
of the IDPs.

Food, shelter, water and work are among the priority needs of
the newly displaced. Since February 2006, the Organization has also
been carrying out emergency distributions of food, non-food items
and water assistance to the recently displaced with funding from
the US government. Over the past twelve months, IOM has provided
emergency assistance to almost 200,000 individuals.

For more information, please contact:

Rafiq Tschannen

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission

E-mail: "mailto:rtschannen@iom.int">rtschannen@iom.int 

Dana Graber

IOM Iraq Displacement Specialist

E-mail: "mailto:dgraber@iom.int">dgraber@iom.int

To access the latest IOM update on internal displacement in
Iraq, please go to: "http://www.iom-iraq.net" target="_blank" title=
"">www.iom-iraq.net.