Despite growing reports on the numbers of internally displaced
people (IDPs) and refugees returning to their homes in Iraq and
evidence of improved security in many areas of the country, those
going back often don't have a home to return to and need
assistance, according to IOM's latest update on the internal
displacement crisis in Iraq.

Since the start of the year, about 9,500 IDP families have
either registered or are in the process of registering with Iraq's
Ministry for Migration and Displacement (MoDM)  to receive an
USD 800 stipend to help them upon returning to home neighbourhoods
in Baghdad, the source of most of Iraq's internally displaced.
However, it is likely that many more have actually returned, though
families often find upon returning to Baghdad that their homes have
been destroyed, their belongings stolen and jobs lost.

Several tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees, particularly from
Syria, are also reported to have returned to Iraq in recent weeks.
However, many of these families are returning to internal
displacement as their homes are either occupied, damaged or are in
neighbourhoods that are homogenized by one sect.

Although IOM, in coordination with the United Nations (UN) and
the MoDM, will be assessing the needs of returned refugees and will
provide non-food items, such as blankets, mattresses, kitchen
items, and heaters to over 3,000 returning Iraqis, the
Organization's latest update on the internal displacement crisis
stresses the continually deteriorating situation for Iraq's
internally displaced.

IOM, which monitors and assists IDPs in Iraq, reports that
although the rate of displacement has significantly dropped this
year – of more than 700,000 Iraqis assessed, 80 per cent were
displaced during 2006 in comparison to 20 per cent during 2007
– life for all Iraq's IDPs is desperate as a result of
unemployment, inadequate shelter, lack of access to basic services,
insufficient water, poor sanitation and increasing food insecurity,
especially for those who have been displaced for a year or
longer.

An estimated 1.2 million people have now been displaced within
Iraq's borders since the bombing of the Al Askari shrine in
February 2006. Combined with the 1.2 million people displaced prior
to 2006, there are now more than 2.4 million IDPs in Iraq. However,
it is likely real numbers are higher to account for those who
haven't been registered due to limitations imposed on IDP
registration in nine of the 18 governorates with another five
restricting access to the displaced altogether.

"The onset of winter will mean even more problems and challenges
for the displaced. Their situation is already extremely precarious
and people need much more help. Our monitors on the ground are
seeing an increase in the number of evictions of IDPs, forced
movements and even forced marriages among a group of people really
unable to cope," said Rafiq Tschannen, IOM's Chief of Mission for
Iraq.

To help some of the most vulnerable as temperatures fall
sharply, IOM has begun distributing kerosene to IDP families living
in a camp in northern Iraq. IOM has also begun stockpiling 2,000
food baskets and 2,000 non-food baskets in a warehouse in northern
Iraq for emergency distribution to IDP and host families. The
baskets include blankets, heaters and stoves to help people stay
warm during the bitter winter. Distributions are due to begin
shortly.

However, IOM, which has been providing vital humanitarian
assistance to IDPs and vulnerable host families in Iraq since 2003,
will run out of funds to assist these vulnerable populations from
February 2008 unless further funding is made available.

Since the Organization launched a two-year appeal for USD 85
million for its IDP operations in Iraq in June this year, it has
only received 23 per cent.

"The needs of the displaced are still immense. We must not turn
our backs on these millions whose plight does not end until they
have a proper home, a job, food on the table and some kind of
future," adds Tschannen. 

For further information, please contact:

Dana Graber

IOM Iraq

Tel: +962796111759

E-mail: "mailto:dgraber@iom-iraq.net" target="_blank" title=
"">dgraber@iom-iraq.net