Iraq CRISIS Situation Report No. 47 (3 June 9 June 2015) This report is produced by OCHA Iraq in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 3 9 June. Due to the rapidly changing situation it is possible that the numbers and locations listed in this report may no longer be accurate. The next report will be issued on or around 19 June. Highlights New Humanitarian chief visits Iraq. Calls for greater humanitarian support USD $500 million Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) launched in Brussels Displacement tops 3 million mark Ramadi displacement continues, but slows Iraq Internal Displacement Trend by governorate Situation Overview Data Source(s): IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) On his first mission as Under-Secretary General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Stephen O Brien visited Iraq from 7 to 9 June. In Baghdad he met high ranking government officials, as well as people recently displaced from Ramadi District in Anbar Governorate. On 9 June, exactly one year to the day after Mosul fell to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), resulting in mass displacement, he also visited the Baharka Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as the Darashakran Refugee Camp, which hosts close to 10,000 Syrian refugees, in Erbil Governorate. During his meetings, USG O Brien discussed progress and challenges in delivering aid, with representatives of the national Government in Baghdad, including H.E. President Fuad Masum, H.E. Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al Jafaari and other senior officials. In Erbil, he held similar discussions with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials, including H.E. Prime Minister Nichirvan Barzani, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, Minister of Interior, Karim Sinjari, and Minister of Planning, Dr. Ali Sindi, as well as other senior officials. As part of his visit, USG O'Brien visited the Al Salam/Al akia-qazqazniya site for IDPs in Baghdad. Residents highlighted a lack of medical assistance, in particular lack of treatment for chronic or complicated medical cases, and delays in referrals to the Al Yarmouk Hospital. The small clinic and pharmacy is run by a local NGO, and is reportedly not linked to the Department of Health (DoH). The USG s visit comes less than a week after the humanitarian community launched the 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Iraq on 4 June in Brussels. The USD $497.9 million plan targets 5.6 million vulnerable Iraqis with essential, life-saving support over the next six months. + For more information, see background on the crisis at the end of the report www.unocha.org The mission of the is to mobilize and coordinate ef fective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Coordination Saves Lives
Iraq IDP Crisis Situation Report No. 47 2 The launch event was hosted at the European Parliament and co-chaired by Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management and Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq. Heads of agencies and representatives from international NGOs and the NGO Coordination Committee for Iraq (NCCI) also participated in the launch. The number of displaced people in Iraq has topped three million, as of 21 May, according to the International Organization for Migration s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). Anbar Governorate currently hosts the largest number of IDPs with 531,996 individuals, followed by Baghdad and Dahuk governorates, with 483,648 IDPs and 445,164 IDPs respectively. Due to continuous clashes in Anbar Governorate, the DTM team verified 22,180 families, or 133,080 people, displaced from Ramadi District between 15 May and 8 June. 52 per cent of displaced people remained within the governorate. Displacement continues, but has slowed down. As of 8 June, more than 257,000 have been displaced from Ramadi District since the launch of military operations in Anbar Governorate on 8 April, according to IOM. According to a statement by the Government of Iraq Ministry of Interior issued on 8 June, 300 displaced families returned to their homes in the al-jazeera area, across the river from the Ramadi City Centre, Anbar Governorate, after the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) regained control of the area. Local partners in Ameriyat al-falluja Sub-district in Anbar Governorate estimated the total displaced population to be 7,800 families, with 2,000 families staying in the Ameriyat al-falluja Camp Centre. They are in need of food assistance and non-food items (NFIs). Local partners in Habbaniya Tourist City also stressed urgent food and healthcare needs for IDPs, in particular among new arrivals. The medical centre is also currently overwhelmed, with only two doctors present. Following reports of cases of potential malnutrition in Habbaniya Tourist City, primary health care centre staff began conducting outreach activities on 7 June. The team will work with families to ensure that any signs of malnutrition are identified and treated appropriately. Additional mobile health teams are planned for Habbaniya Tourist City. Caravans will also be deployed to support static medical clinics staffed by DoH personnel in 14 different locations, including eight in Baghdad Governorate, and six in Anbar Governorate. These are estimated to be ready within three weeks, with local health staff to be recruited, including from among the IDP community. Checkpoints controlled by the Sulaymaniyah Governorate have remained closed to IDPs. Individuals with exceptional medical circumstances are being allowed entry on a case-by-case basis. As a result, humanitarian partners report crowding at checkpoints with IDPs suffering from the increasing heat with no access to potable water or shade. In Kirkuk Governorate, a local NGO distributed food and hygiene kits for 65 IDP families stranded at the Daquq Checkpoint, after being refused entry into Kirkuk City. These IDP families are from Daur and Tikrit districts, Salah al-din Governorate, as well as from Baghdad and Anbar governorates. Some families had been waiting a week, while others had arrived over the previous few days. On 9 June, a fire broke out at the Al Yawa IDP Camp in Khanaqin District, Diyala Governorate. The camp is currently hosting 1,400 IDP families. 63 tents were completely destroyed and 10 were partially damaged, but no serious injuries or casualties were reported. An INGO s water trucks helped in controlling the fire. Afterwards, partners provided 73 Immediate Response Rations (IRR) and Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) packages to affected families. 400 blankets and full ration packages will also be distributed. The site was cleared with the help of the municipality and new tents were erected. The Mayor of Khanaqin visited the site and reported that the governorate will provide fire extinguishers to all families in the camp. Cramped conditions, hot and dry weather, and people cooking near tents provided an enabling environment for the fire outbreak. As of the first week of June, around 35,000 IDP families in Dahuk Governorate received the Ministry of Displacement and Migration s (MoDM) smart card. This constitutes just under a quarter of all eligible families. A number of mobile offices have been established to speed up the distribution of cards in the governorate. Once activated, the smartcards will allow the holder to withdraw financial assistance worth IQD 450,000 (about USD $336) per month. In Kirkuk, MoDM received registration requests from about 25,000 IDP families. Registration was re-opened in Kirkuk on 31 May for five days. The MoDM reported that the expected final number of IDPs included in the database could reach 110,000 IDP families, or about 660,000 individuals.
Iraq IDP Crisis Situation Report No. 47 3 Food Security Approximately 1,000 newly displaced families in Al-Hwash Village, Al Motasim Village and Al-Ishaqi Subdistrict in Samarra District, Salah al-din Governorate, are in urgent need of food, shelter, hygiene, as well as water and sanitation assistance. Their arrival comes in addition to some 16,000 IDP families already in the district. IDPs require priority food assistance in Falluja, Haditha, Ka'im Ana, Rutba, Ru'ua and Heet districts, Anbar Governorate; Samarra District, Salah al-din Governorate; Kirkuk City, Kirkuk Governorate; Ba'quba District, Diyala Governorate; and Resafa and Tarmia districts, Baghdad Governorate. Agriculture, livestock and irrigation systems are damaged in Muqdadiya District, Diyala Governorate. IDPs in the southern governorates of Najaf, Kerbala, Missan, Qadissiya, Missan and Thi-Qar need food assistance. Food Security Cluster (FSC) partners distributed food parcels to 1,510 families in response to the Ramadi crisis. A local NGO partner provided hot meals for 2,000 students in Al Anbar University in Anbar Governorate. 2,000 hot meals, water and ice were distributed daily in camps in Ameriyat al-falluja Sub-district in Anbar Governorate. In Abu Ghraib District, Baghdad Governorate, drinkable water and 500 hot meals were provided for IDP families in camps. In Habbaniya District water is provided daily. 51,000 vegetable seed packs for backyard agriculture were distributed to 12,000 IDP and returnee households in Baghdad, Kerbala, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Dahuk, Babylon and Anbar governorates. In-camp distributions for 180,000 individuals for the month of June have begun Iraq-wide. To date, 110,000 individuals have been reached thus far. 57,702 vouchers out of 160,581 have been distributed nationwide so far. There are gaps in response for 1,000 families who have been displaced from recent military operations in Salah al-din Governorate, and are reportedly prevented from entering Samarra City. The humanitarian situation around Samarra District is dire. FSC partners report the highest needs in Ameriyat al-falluja Sub-district, Anbar Governorate, include water, cooler bins, rice and flour. In Muthanna Governorate, many IDPs names have not been listed in the Ministry of Trade s Public Distribution System (PDS) electronic list, and are therefore ineligible to receive their food packages. Partners report they have stopped activities in Al Khalidiya Sub-district, Anbar Governorate, due to security concerns. Shelter and Non-Food Items More than 2.9 million IDPs are projected to remain in need of shelter or non-food item (NFI) assistance through the end of the year. Of these, the Shelter/NFI Cluster is targeting 1.13 million of the most vulnerable individuals. Shelter and NFI needs are predominantly in non-camp settings in the centre and south of the country. 144 IDP families have arrived in Yaychi Sub-district in Kirkuk Governorate over the last couple of weeks. The majority of the families are living in very critical shelter situations, such as unfinished buildings and informal settlements. NFIs are also a priority. Basic household items and shelter are urgent needs for most of the more than 40,000 families displaced from Ramadi District since 8 April. More than 72,000 IDP families nationwide have received shelter assistance and over 257,000 IDP families have received NFI kits since 2014. 1,533 IDP households received their summer NFI kits in Sulaymaniyah and in Erbil goverernorates. Since May, partners have provided NFIs to 374 families in Quarato IDP camp.
Iraq IDP Crisis Situation Report No. 47 4 A total of 956 IDP households in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Basrah, Missan, Qadissiya and Thi-Qar governorates received their summer NFI kits, newly arrived families in Yaychi Sub-district, Kirkuk Governorate, also received NFIs. In Baghdad, cluster partners started the construction of new individual shelters for 160 families, together with the rehabilitation of two collective centres hosting 34 IDP households. Cluster partners distributed 1,073 tents in Salah al-din, Najaf, Kerbala, Diyala and Baghdad governorates, and constructed 41 prefabricated structures in Diyala, Kerbala and Najaf governorates. Work on the Al Yusifiya IDP camp in Baghdad Governorate is mid-way with the establishment of 325 family tents. Another camp in Ameriyat al-fallujah Sub-district will host 260 families. As part of the Ramadi response effort, 804 households received NFI kits in Erbil and Baghdad governorates, while in Sulaymaniyah Governorate 90 tents are being installed for new arrivals. Restrictions in funding, security and limited access, as well as an uneven spread of agencies nationwide, are the primary constraints. The cluster identified the need for more guidance to agencies on urban shelter interventions in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I). The relocation of the first 600 families from the Arbat IDP camp to the Ashti IDP Camp in Sulaymaniyah Governorate is scheduled for the third week of June. This will help decongest the Arbat IDP Camp which currently suffers from overcrowding. People stranded at the Khanaqin checkpoint in Diyala Governorate are in need of NFIs to cope with summer temperatures. However, this area is considered a red zone and most agencies are unable to access it. Significant gaps in NFI stocks are expected for potential new displacement in Anbar and Salah al-din governorates, as per cluster contingency plans. Protection Mapping of services has not been initiated, while service providers have not yet agreed on a referral pathway in southern Sulaymaniyah Governorate, making it difficult to refer IDPs for specialized services, including legal and medical assistance. A pilot pop-up women s centre with safe and secure female WASH facilities planned for Habbaniya Tourist City in Anbar Governorate will not go ahead due to the prevailing security situation. Child protection partners in Basrah Governorate report limited NGO involvement in child protection services and limited government engagement in the IDP response. In response to the threats of eviction and confiscation of IDs from IDPs in Kirkuk Governorate, UN protection monitors have advocated with the Government to postpone return of IDPs to Diyala Governorate. Despite the suspended registration processes, protection partners successfully assisted a small number of families to obtain registration cards in Kerbala Governorate. IDPs displaced from Anbar Governorate are still signing up for free flights from Baghdad to Erbil carried out by the Ministry of Transportation and Iraqi Airways. Access to the Government-supported smart cards has been provided through mobile teams of the K-card company in Chamishku, Khanke, Bajet Kandala, Shariya, Dawadia, and Berseve IDP camps in Dahuk Governorate, as well as the Bardarash, Mamillian, Essian and Sheikhan IDP camps. In Erbil Governorate, a clinical management of rape training for nine doctors (seven male and two female) from six health facilities in the region is taking place. In Kirkuk Governorate, Islamic Relief, a partner of the UN Population Fund, distributed 140 dignity kits in Kirkuk and have established caravans in Laylan and Yayawah IDP camps where vocational training activities, are taking place for women and girls as the initial phase of establishing women and girls centres. A national conference to launch the work plan on the recommendations of the Convention on Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was conducted in Baghdad. Child protection partners are scaling up at the Takya IDP Camp in Sulaymaniyah Governorate by engaging a local NGO that will provide psychosocial support, conduct community awareness sessions on the prevention of family separation, as well as the referral of children to specialized services.
Iraq IDP Crisis Situation Report No. 47 5 In governorates in the KRI, training on psychological first aid for frontline workers is ongoing. The needs of children and women from the displaced community in Rawanduz IDP camp in Soran District, Erbil Governorate is also in the process of being assessed. Health Essential primary and secondary health care services for IDPs, refugees, host and non-host affected communities remain a priority. Further support for fixed health facilities and the deployment of mobile health teams is needed in areas of emerging conflict, including Anbar Governorate and Samarra District in Salah al-din Governorate. Disease alerts require early detection and investigation to ensure timely responses. 23,053 health consultations were undertaken during the reporting period. The provision of primary health care intervention is inclusive of non-communicable disease, mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS). Of the 383 children whose nutritional status was screened, 24 children received treatment, or were hospitalized for acute malnutrition. 1,502 births were assisted by skilled attendants. Another 354 births by Cesarean section were conducted. 2,874 specialized health consultations were provided to IDPs and affected communities, including chronic disease, and MHPSS. 1,412 cases required hospitalization. WHO and partners supported the delivery of health care services through mobile teams and fixed health centres in Ameriyat al-falluja Sub-district, Anbar Governorate; along both sides of the Bzbiz Bridge, as well as Habbaniya Town and Khalidiya Sub-district. Camp Coordination and Camp Management Power shortages remain a problem at the Modern IDP Camp in Basrah Governorate, with an average interruption period of 10 hours a day. Despite the presence of a generator, the camp management has no resources to purchase fuel. The daily consumption of electrical power is high and they are unable to cover the cost of running air conditioners. The lack of electricity has also resulted in problems with the local water supply. WASH specific needs continue at the Eyes of Missan IDP Camp in Missan Governorate. Some of these are in the process of being addressed by partners. The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has purchased water pumps, but these still need to be installed. IDP families continue to experience problems with drinking water at IDP camps in Basrah Governorate. Households currently depend on irregular deliveries from water trucks supplied by the municipality. The water tanks are filled on a daily basis, but the water is insufficient for IDPs living in the camp. This forces many to buy or obtain their water from nearby areas. UNICEF is negotiating with the Ministry of Education at the collective centre in Basrah Governorate to upgrade the level of the existing primary school which will open in September. Education Of the 3 million IDPs across Iraq, 900,000 are of school age children between 6 and 17, while a further 203,000 children are between the ages of 4 to 5 years old, in need of specialized care. Over 1.2 million children in host communities have been affected by the crisis across Iraq, putting an additional strain on an already overburdened education system. This is compounded by a lack of adequate resources, distance to school, language barriers and insecurity. The conflict in Ramadi over the past month has affected over 120,000 people, one third of these are school age children, whose education has been disrupted during the examination season.
Iraq IDP Crisis Situation Report No. 47 6 Over 175,000 IDP children were provided assistance by the Education Cluster to access education opportunities across Iraq. 710 schools in host communities have undergone minor repairs to enable 350,000 school age boys and girls in host communities to return to school. Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) have been mobilized to support the rehabilitation of these schools. Psychosocial support through education programmes is being provided to 148,000 children. With examination time approaching, partners are assisting students with supplementary classes and providing space for students to sit their end of year exams. In Khanaqin District, mini-buses were hired to transport 90 students in Quarato IDP Camp to attend their final exams. Support is ongoing in camps in Dahuk Governorate. Education Cluster partners are coordinating the roll-out of summer school and catch-up class activities for IDP children who have missed much of the school year. 260 teachers in Baghdad from schools hosting IDPs were trained in psychosocial support, improved pedagogy and school administration as part of an on-going training programme. A further 75 teachers received early childhood development training in Kirkuk. The teachers were all IDPs from the city of Mosul, Ninewa Governorate, as well as Salah al-din and Kirkuk governorates. Resources, including funding and education materials, are urgently needed to increase access to education opportunities, especially for boys and girls who are on the verge of dropping out, as well as for those who are currently out of school. Lack of learning spaces and distance to schools remain barriers to IDP children seeking access to education. Existing schools are overstretched, operating in double and triple shifts. More qualified teachers at the high school level are required. Emergency Telecommunications Cluster The UNHCR office which hosts the ETC-installed COMCEN in Sulaymaniyah Governorate had its main power system cut last week. The system remains operational through the ETC-supplied solar system. The supply issue should be resolved within the coming week. Logistics The Logistics Cluster is addressing the need for regular up-to-date logistical information on road conditions, bottlenecks, and asset availability. The Cluster is liaising closely with partners to enhance information and asset sharing, common service provision and storage support. The Cluster is supporting partners with common storage services in Erbil and Dahuk. The Logistics Cluster is coordinating with the Humanitarian Operations Centre (HOPs) for logistics information and planning.
Iraq IDP Crisis Situation Report No. 47 7 General Coordination Mr Giovanni Bosco assumed his position as the new Head of Office for OCHA in Iraq on 7 June. For further information, please contact: Giovanni Bosco, Head of Office, bosco@un.org Mobile Iraq: +964 (0) 751 184 4379 David Swanson, Public Information Officer, swanson@un.org Mobile Iraq: +964 (0) 750 377 0849 For more information, please visit https://iraq.humanitarianresponse.info Background on the crisis Since the fall of Mosul on 9 June 2014, armed groups (AGs), including Ba athists, tribal militias and members of the former regime/military, along with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), have taken control of large swathes of Iraq s provinces of Ninewa, Salah al-din and Diyala. The cities of Mosul, Tikrit, Telafar, Beiji, Quayyara, Suleiman Bek, Heet, Rashad, Hawiga, Riyadh, Falluja and Saqlawiyah, are currently under armed group control. Since January 2014 much of Anbar has been under ISIL control. This has led to massive internal displacement. Iraq is now contending with one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world; over 3 million have been displaced since January 2014.