Emergency distribution for IDPs. An internally displaced woman carrying her family package.

The Iraqi Displacement Crisis

According to the Strategic Framework for Humanitarian Action in Iraq (April, 2007), the civilian population in Iraq currently faces one of the most complex and violent situations in the world. An estimated eight million Iraqi civilians need urgent assistance, including an estimated four million food-insecure resident population, two million internally displaced and two million displaced in neighbouring countries.

Iraq has a protracted history of displacement, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced over the past four decades by war and the policies carried out by the former regime. After the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, population displacements primarily occurred due to military operations, crime, and general insecurity.

However, on 22 February 2006, the bombing of the Samarra Al-Askari Mosque triggered escalating sectarian violence that drastically changed the dynamics of Iraqi displacement. Since then, populations have primarily fled violence targeting their religious and ethnic identities, in addition to generalized crime and continued military offensives. 

There are now more than 2.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Iraq, over half of them recently (post February 2006) displaced. The scale of this displacement has severely strained infrastructure and resources, creating a serious humanitarian crisis that affects both IDPs and the host communities that provide them with refuge.

The IOM Iraq IDP Programme

In coordination with the United Nations and the humanitarian community, IOM Iraq’s strategy is to increase assistance in Iraq to help stabilization efforts and possibly reduce the outflow of Iraqis into the neighbouring countries, thereby minimizing the regional impact of the crisis and its potential expansion.

The IOM Iraq IDP Programme is assessing and responding to the displacement crisis through IDP Monitoring & Needs Assessments, Emergency Assistance, and Community Assistance Projects (CAPs).

For the latest information on operations, please see the most recent IDP Programme Activities Update.

IDP Monitoring & Needs Assessments

IOM uses Rapid Needs Assessment and Location Assessment questionnaires to gather data on displacement and host communities and their most urgent needs. Monitors visit the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, IDP tribal and community leaders, local non-governmental organizations, local government bodies, and individual IDP families to gather information and complete the questionnaires.  Information is gathered on a range of issues, including food, water, sanitation, shelter, health care, documentation, property, and IDP intentions.

The IOM monitoring database now contains information on over 120,000 recently displaced families. Based on this data, IOM releases a range of reports that analyze displacement and inform the humanitarian response:

• Iraq Displacement Assessments & Statistics – biweekly updates on displacement, with the latest statistics from the IOM database.
• Governorate Profiles – biannual reports reviewing and analyzing the displacement situation in each governorate.
• Iraq Displacement Mid-Year and Yearly Reviews – overview and analysis of Iraqi displacement over a six-month or yearlong period.
• IDP Tent Camp Assessments – a quarterly report on tent camps recently set up for IDPs.

 The IDP Programme Library contains these and a number of other reports, including monitoring data and analysis since 2003.

Emergency Assistance

The IDP Emergency Assistance Programme delivers lifesaving humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable IDP and host community populations throughout Iraq. These are implemented by a network of national and international NGO partners and in coordination with government authorities. IOM also maintains four warehouses in-country for quick response to humanitarian emergencies. Distributions are targeted based on Monitoring & Needs Assessments data, or in response to alerts or recommendations from the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, local authorities, IOM staff, and implementing partners. IOM distributes food, water, and non-food items such as blankets, mattresses, heaters, stoves, hygienic sets, kitchen sets, plastic sheets, jerry cans and fuel. Distributions are tracked using an Emergency Distributions database that facilitates the targeting of assistance and coordination with partners.

Community Assistance Projects (CAPs)

IOM Community Assistance Projects (CAPs) stabilize vulnerable communities by restoring or enhancing essential services in the water, sanitation, and education sectors. CAPs also provide vocational training, run income generation projects, and build community or organizational capacity. Project implementation and impact are monitored and evaluated by IOM staff, consultants, and external contractors. All CAP information is stored in an Activities Database.

Coordination

The IDP Programme closely coordinates its monitoring and assistance activities with the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM). Along with the IOM MoDM Capacity Building Programme, the IDP Programme works to build the Ministry’s institutional capacity toward the eventual handover of monitoring responsibilities.

The IOM IDP Programme is an active participant in the United Nations humanitarian coordination system for Iraq. IOM regularly attends coordination meetings, such as Emergency Distribution coordination meetings and UN Country Team meetings, and IOM hosts the biweekly IDP Working Group. IOM regularly disseminates its displacement reports to the humanitarian community and other stakeholders; if you would like to be added to the distribution list, please notify Dana Graber Ladek, Iraq Displacement Specialist, at dgraber@iom-iraq.net.

Funding & Donors

The IOM Iraq IDP Programme receives funding from USAID/OFDA (United States of America); DIMIA, DIAC, and AUSAID (Australia); DFID (United Kingdom); CERF (United Nations); Japan; and the Netherlands.