Iraq - Over 90,000 Iraqis have been displaced in the Mosul Corridor as military operations continue in preparedness for the liberation of Mosul. This includes over 82,600 IDPs who have been displaced from Salah al-Din (Baiji and Al Shirqat districts) and Ninewa (Al Qayara district) since 16 June, as recorded by IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix, Emergency Tracking.

The recently displaced are in need of life-saving emergency assistance, which includes: non-food items (NFIs), health assistance, transportation and shelter.

As the military operations continue, up to 1.2 million people could be affected. Some formal IDP camps have been established, but they will not have the capacity to accommodate the majority of new displacements.

In response to the overwhelming influx of new IDPs, IOM plans to scale up its shelter and camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) response in an effort to support and improve the living conditions of a minimum of 138,000 families who will be accommodated in unfinished buildings and public structures such as mosques, churches and schools, and to protect them from the harsh seasonal conditions.   

In September 2015, IOM initiated the technical concept of CCCM mobile teams, which was adopted in Iraq by CCCM actors at national level and has been aligned with the national CCCM response plan. A total of 12 CCCM mobile teams are operating across Iraq, in approximately 20 sites in Baghdad, 10 in Salah al-Din, 15 in Erbil, and 20 in Anbar.   

With people fleeing in the hundreds, IOM has been supporting government efforts with transportation of IDPs fleeing ISIL who are held in Hawija to camp locations in Kirkuk, and those fleeing villages in the outskirts of Mosul to camps in Debega. 

Over 6,500 Iraqis have been moved to safety by IOM since March and the Organization is preparing to assist a further 120,000 individuals from front line positions to safety.

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “The humanitarian emergency in Iraq continues to intensify, displacing even larger numbers of Iraqis from their homes. We must come prepared with the life-saving assistance that is desperately needed. Additional funding and enhanced coordination among all actors is immediately required to be able to protect and support those fleeing ISIL.”

IOM continues to be one of the lead agencies in non-food relief item (NFI) distribution.  Since the military operations for the liberation of Mosul began in late March, IOM has distributed 18,900 NFI kits to over 114,000 individuals.

As IDPs flee from ISIL-controlled areas, often leaving everything behind, IOM is currently stockpiling over 30,000 NFI kits which will help provide 170,000 IDPs with basic household supplies to help them to survive their displacement.

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