1.5 Million Internally Displaced Iraqis Lack the Most Basic Services
Over 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, most
with urgent needs in the most basic services, continue to present
numerous challenges for the Iraqi national authorities and the
international community.
Data collected by the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) in January 2006 revealed almost 1.2 million individuals had
been displaced over the past several decades, most of them living
in public buildings, camps or with host communities throughout
Iraq.
Since 22 February 2006, IOM assessments confirm an additional
360,000 individuals have been displaced due to sectarian violence,
military clashes, and criminality. IOM’s report Iraq
Displacement 2006 Year in Review, released today, confirms the most
urgent needs are food, water, shelter, and employment.
IOM has coordinated the assessment and monitoring of IDPs since
April 2003, including information on their numbers, locations and
needs in the 15 central and southern Iraq governorates.
IOM, as the lead organization in emergency distributions for
those displaced inside Iraq, has assisted some 30,000 IDP families
since 22 February 2006, which includes a total of 35 distributions
of food and non-food items.
In response to the needs identified through IOM's monitoring,
IOM implements community assistance projects and emergency
distributions. With donor support, IOM carries out four main
and inseparable activities in central and southern Iraq:
- restore essential services including drinking water,
sanitation, health, and education - support the implementation of Community Assistance Projects for
IDPs and their host communities - continue assessments and monitoring of IDP movements, needs and
durable solutions; and - provide emergency food and non-food items to the most
vulnerable IDPs.
As Iraq faces increased instability and violence, the immediate
and long-term needs of the displaced will continue to increase,
while funding for these projects is on the decline. IOM
received only US$ 4 million in funding for IDPs in 2006.
The Iraq Displacement 2006 Year in Review report is available
at:
"http://www.iomiraq.net/iomdmyear.html#2006" target="_blank" title=
"">http://www.iomiraq.net/iomdmyear.html#2006
For more information contact:
Dana Graber
Iraq Displacement Specialist
IOM Iraq
E-mail:
"mailto:dgraber@iom-iraq.net">dgraber@iom-iraq.net
Niurka Piñeiro
IOM Washington DC
Tel: +1.202.862.1826 ext. 225
E-mail:
"mailto:npineiro@iom.int">npineiro@iom.int
Items
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target="_blank" title="">2006 Iraq Displacement Review -
href="http://www.sais-jhu.edu" target="_blank" title="">Johns
Hopkins University – The Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced
International Studies - Audio