The IDP Crisis in Iraq

Anita Sharma and Ilan Goldenberg

Iraq faces one of the world’s largest and fastest growing displacement crises. It is estimated that 2.2 million people have fled to neighboring countries. More than one million have been internally displaced since the Samarra mosque bombing in February of 2006, bringing the total number of internally displaced to more than two million. Sectarian violence, lawlessness, military operations, poor living conditions, and little access to employment push some 2,000 people from their homes daily. Deteriorating living conditions such as lack of access to health care, education, water and sanitation, and the inability of the Iraqi government and the international aid agencies to provide desperately needed assistance further exacerbate the situation. Meanwhile, neighboring countries, which previously accepted hundreds of thousands of fleeing Iraqis, have now imposed harsher visa restrictions, creating a “pressure-cooker” situation.

The response by the Iraqi government, the United States and the entire international community, has been woefully inadequate. The United States must lead by example by formally recognizing the crisis and seeking durable solutions, which focus on a political settlement, a major increase in humanitarian assistance, easing the freedom of movement for IDPs and making resettlement requirements less onerous. The U.S. must also work with the Iraqi government, international and non-governmental organizations, Iraq’s neighbors, and other donor countries to improve the lot of the Iraqi people.

Iraq is Facing a Grave IDP Crisis

As a result of sectarian violence the number of internally displaced persons (IDP)s has risen dramatically, reaching 2 million people. “More than 2 million Iraqis are displaced inside Iraq, with over 1 million displaced since the February 2006 Samarra bombings. While most of the security incidents happen in the centre and south of the country, the displaced are not confined to these regions. In the north, there are more than 780,000 displaced Iraqis, over 650,000 in the center of the country, and 790,000 in the south. Iraqis are dispersed, living in substandard shelter or are staying with friends or family, making them less susceptible to mass violence but often more difficult to assist. Others are barely surviving in makeshift camps, inaccessible to aid workers for security reasons.” [UNHCR, 8/28/07. McClatchy, 9/9/07]

The “surge” has done nothing to stop internal displacement. Since the surge began in February 2007, the number of Iraqis displaced has increased dramatically, according to the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization and the International Organization for Migration. Meanwhile, Baghdad's population has gone from 65% Sunni before the war to 75% Shi'a today. Considering this is a city of 6 million people, these statistics indicate massive ethnic cleansing and displacement. [UNHCR. Forced Migration Review. Reuters, 1/8/07. International Organization for Migration in Iraq. International Herald Tribune, 8/24/07]

Mobility for displaced peoples has decreased significantly in recent months, making it more difficult for IDPs to find safe haven. The head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Iraq Support Unit has stated that 11 of 18 governors are restricting access to internal migrants because they don’t have the capacity to handle the population flows. When IDPs are let in they often are not given access to basic health and education services. Combined with increasingly stringent enforcement on the international borders, many Iraqis now have nowhere to flee for safety. [BBC, 10/10/07]

Smaller minority groups have been disproportionately affected because they do not have militias or the support of larger groups such as the Shi’a, Sunni or Kurds. Minority groups are often required to pay a "protection tax,” are banished from their ancestral lands or are forced to convert to Islam. Not complying with these ultimatums usually results in death. The Sabean-Mandean sect, who follows the teachings of John the Baptist, had a population of 25,000 in 2003. It now numbers less than 5,000. In August insurgents killed more than 400 Kurds from the Yazidi religious sect and approximately 50 percent of Iraqi Christians, who numbered 1 to 2 million at the last count in 2003, may have already left the country for neighboring states. According to Amnesty International “Palestinian refugees have been targeted by armed militia groups affiliated to Shi'a religious parties because of their ethnicity... The 15,000 or so Palestinians who are still in Iraq, including those in camps near the border with Syria, are recognized as refugees by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. However, few countries in the region or beyond are willing to accept them for resettlement.” [Amnesty International, 10/1/07. International Herald Tribune, 9/20/07]

Iraqis Lack Access to Basic Services

Everyone struggles as living conditions in Iraq continue to deteriorate. According to a July 2007 report Oxfam and NCCI, "Eight million people are in urgent need of emergency aid; that figure includes over two million who are displaced within the country, and more than two million refugees. 43 percent of Iraq's population endures "absolute poverty," and that more than half "are now without work." Child malnutrition rates have jumped from 19 percent before the invasion four years ago to 28 percent now. The number of Iraqis "without access to adequate water supplies" is 70 percent, up from 50 percent since 2003. Of the four million Iraqis dependent on food aid, only 60 per cent currently have access to rations down from 96 per cent in 2004. The country continues to suffer a "brain drain, " with most of the educated, professional and wealthier classes having sought refuge outside Iraq. [Oxfam, 7/07. NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI), 10/04/07]

Not enough potable water exists in Iraq. According to the International Red Cross, “both the quantity and quality of drinking water in Iraq remain insufficient despite limited improvement…water is often contaminated, owing to the poor repair of sewage and water-supply networks and the discharge of untreated sewage into rivers, which are the main source of drinking water.” “The number of Iraqis without access to adequate water supplies has risen from 50 per cent to 70 per cent since 2003, while 80 per cent lack effective sanitation. [Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, 4/2007. Oxfam, 07/07]

Poor sanitation has caused a cholera outbreak with more than confirmed 3,300 cases and 16 deaths throughout Iraq. The World Health Agency confirmed that an estimated 30,000 people suffer acute diarrhea, one of the first signs of the water-borne disease. Several cases have been reported in refugee camps along the border in Iran. The Iraqi government warns that it may declare travel restrictions for people and goods if conditions worsen. [Associated Press, 10/05/07, Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA), 10/10/07]

No one is in charge of Iraq’s humanitarian response. In a report submitted to Congress, the GAO said that the program is marred by a lack of “overarching direction” in Washington, as well as corruption and a lack of skills in Iraq. The agency recommended that Congress require a new plan before it approves the administration’s request for more funding to deliver essential services. “Given the absence of an integrated capacity development strategy, it is unclear how further appropriations of funding for ministry capacity development will contribute to the success of overall U.S. efforts in Iraq,” the report said. [AP, 10/9/07.]

More Must Be Done to Address the Crisis

The United States must allow vulnerable Iraqis to apply for processing inside Iraq and allow many more to settle in the United States. Due to refugee laws and security concerns, Iraqis can only apply for resettlement once they have fled the country. However visa restrictions imposed by the neighboring countries prevent many from leaving Iraq, in the first place. In a sharply worded cable recently, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker called for "real alternatives," such as allowing State Department officers to conduct interviews, arranging DHS interviews by video from Washington or allowing Iraqis who work for the U.S. Embassy to go through the process in Iraq. Bi-partisan legislation passed by the Senate entitled the “Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act,” would create processing centers within Iraq and provide special coordinators to facilitate the visa process. Such alternatives should be explored and implemented immediately. [Washington Post, 9/16/07. Senator Ted Kennedy, 9/25/07]

The Iraq government, ministries and municipalities, in cooperation with the international community must allow for freedom of movement inside Iraq while aiming to provide security and basic services. It is the ultimately the responsibility of the national government, supported by the international community to protect the people of Iraq. The Iraqi government, ministries and municipalities should adhere to the internationally supported Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and must not restrict freedom of movement inside Iraq. The national government and ministries, most importantly the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Trade, should work with the international community and local authorities to devise creative solutions to ensure that local authorities can absorb the displaced populations and provide services for those in need. [Forced Migration, 6/07.]

The United States must expand funding for the displaced and vulnerable inside Iraq while supporting neighboring countries struggling to absorb the refugees. This year the United States provided $200 million in humanitarian aid to Iraqis both inside Iraq and in neighboring countries. Advocacy groups such as the Refugee Council of the United States and Interaction are urging the United States Congress to provide at least $1.4 billion in additional funding in 2008. Their request includes doubling assistance to the U.S Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, contributing to the pending appeal from the International Organization for Migration for urgent aid for internally displaced Iraqis, and preparing for the possibility of additional camps inside Iraq for internally displaced persons. It also urges the U.S to provide supplemental Economic Support Fund support to Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt to accommodate refugee needs. Recognizing that corruption is rampant and accountability problems persist, the U.S. and its partners should do everything in its powers to insist on transparency and accountability. [Refugees International, 10/11/07]

As it draws down its forces the United States, Coalition partners, Iraq and the United Nations must work together to develop plans to safeguard minority groups and prevent further cleansing. The current debate has focused on troop numbers, timelines, and how to divide the country with the well being of Iraqis considered as an after-thought or justification for staying the course. A frank assessment of the situation, coupled with joint contingency planning such as residual security forces, an increased UN protection mandate, and pre-stocked humanitarian supplies in strategic locations, are required and could certainly help to avert further disaster.