Assessments by Iraq's Ministry for Displacement and Migration
(MoDM) and IOM of Iraqis having returned to their original homes
from internal displacement or asylum abroad reveal that return has
not brought them relief from the humanitarian crisis they suffered
during their displacement.

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"_blank" title=""> "background-color: rgb(153, 204, 255);">Monitoring and Needs
Assessment Report, March 2008

Priority needs among the 5,200 people assessed by IOM monitors out
of nearly 78,200 returnees identified so far across the country are
food, fuel, non-food items and access to health care and
medications.

In the first of IOM reports focusing exclusively on the
monitoring and needs assessment of returnees, nearly two-thirds of
identified returns were to Baghdad with March 2007 as the peak
month for returning.

Almost half of these returnees said they only had an
intermittent access to government food rations which were largely
insufficient to meet their needs.

For those returning to Baghdad, lack of access to health care
was the worst of any region at 70 per cent with the national
average still high at 56 per cent. Shortage of health facilities
and medications and a lack of finances were the main reasons
cited.

Although the vast majority of returnees had returned to their
original house (84 per cent), many properties had sustained
significant damage and lost or stolen belongings including
furniture, highlighting a significant need for property
assistance.

In Baghdad, where most property disputes occur over occupied
houses, the resettlement of returnees is currently being handled on
an ad hoc basis by various authorities. Any future large-scale
returns would necessitate setting up a comprehensive policy and
mechanism in order to avoid renewed tensions.

Although identified returns so far constitute less than one per
cent of the total displaced Iraqi population (an estimated five
million internally displaced people and refugees), monitors had
observed an increase in returns in March prior to the recent
violence in Basra, Baghdad and elsewhere that outstripped the
capacity of the MoDM and local authorities to identify all
locations. Therefore, real figures for returns are likely to be
higher.

"The situation for those returning is grim and isn't necessarily
an improvement from when they were displaced. Many returnees are
unemployed while only a fraction have received any form of
humanitarian assistance other than some food rations," said Rafiq
Tschannen, IOM's Chief of Mission for Iraq.

"Although efforts are being made to help returnees really get
back on their feet, intensifying these efforts is a major challenge
for all the humanitarian agencies as well as the Iraqi government.
IOM is working closely with the MoDM to ensure assistance reaches a
much greater number of returnees, and our reports on the monitoring
and assessment needs of returnees will go a long way to making sure
we all get the right kind of help to those who need it."

For further information, please contact:

Dana Graber Ladek

IOM Iraq

Tel. +962 79 611 1759)

E-mail: "mailto:dgraber@iom-iraq.net">dgraber@iom-iraq.net