More than 370,000 Newly Displaced People in Iraq

Access is almost impossible in the governorates of Diyala, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, Ninewa as well as in Bagdad, except for some districts. Insecurity is also preventing IOM Rapid Assessment and Respond Teams in the field from reaching all the displaced people by the recent fighting.

“Dangerous security conditions and subsequent lack of access to wide areas means that we cannot get to locations which we know have received displaced populations,” said Vlatko Avramovski, IOM Human Mobility Tracking Expert. ”Not only are movements and access to certain locations restricted, but internet and mobile phone services are often unavailable and communication with key informants difficult.”

IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), is used to collect and share updated information on the type of shelter and access to basic services of the displaced people to all the humanitarian agencies in Iraq to help them plan their responses.

The data collected by IOM shows that the most pressing priority for the displaced is non-food items, followed closely by food items.

Eighty-six per cent of the population identified is in need of essential items such as clothes, coolers and household items, including basic furniture, and 73 per cent of the population requires food support. Needs for shelter and health care for children are also among the top priorities.

“Due to the forced nature of their displacement, most left behind the majority of their household items. In the governorate of Ninewa, where the majority of the people were displaced, 55 per cent of families have reported not having access to food at all,” said Avramovski.

The non-food kits IOM has managed to distribute so far contain four blankets, four mattresses, four pillows, one carpet, cleaning powder, a four-burner gas cooker, a fan, a four-drawer plastic cupboard, four towels and other sanitary items. “This is enough to sustain a displaced family during the initial stages of a crisis,” said Gvilava.