Four years after a severe wave of sectarian violence began, displaced families are returning and new displacements are rare. There is need for continued humanitarian support for the vulnerable displaced and sustainable solutions for those who wish to return, resettle, or integrate into their current locations.
The February 22, 2006 bombing of the Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra is widely considered the spark of escalating sectarian violence that drastically changed the cause and scale of displacement in Iraq, both to locations inside Iraq and to locations abroad.
Since February 2006, more than 1,600,0001 Iraqis (270,000 families) have been displaced - approximately 5.5% of the total population. Of these 270,000 families, IOM monitoring teams assessed 221,983 (an estimated 1,331,898 individuals).2 In addition, 62,3613 returnee families (an estimated 374,166 individuals) have been identified across the country by IOM returnee field monitors and followed up with sample interviews.
These assessments, illustrated in this report, reveal the demographic composition and geographic journeys of the IDP populations remaining in displacement and returnee families who have come home. They also detail overwhelming basic needs such as adequate shelter, sufficient food, clean water, and access to employment. IOM assessments show that 49% of all post-Samarra IDPs would like to return to their places of origin, 29% would like to remain and integrate into their current places of displacement, and 19% would like to resettle in a third location.
Whether it is a matter of vulnerable IDP families living in squatter settlements who need permanent housing solutions, or families who wish to return yet face destroyed homes and property, there is a need for continued assistance and comprehensive plans for the future of these families.
IOM, together with other humanitarian organizations, is working with the Government of Iraq (GoI) to assist IDP and returnee families, but the response remains inadequately funded in proportion to the many and diverse needs across Iraq.