Iraq Situation Update - August 2008 UNHCR s partners rebuilding homes in Sadr City, May 2008. Registration Update Cumulative numbers Est. Iraqi Pop n Total Registered Cases Average Case size Syria 1.0 1.5 mil 1 216,370 63,575 3.4 Jordan 450 500,000 2 54,258 25,257 2.1 Lebanon 50,000 10,532 5,726 1.8 Egypt 20 40,000 10,595 4,192 2.6 Turkey 6 10,000 6,408 3,161 2 Iran 57,000 + 3,673 GCC* 200,000 + 1,816 767 2.4 *Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE). Including approx. 50,000 in Kuwait, 100,000 in UAE, 5,000 in Saudi Arabia and 50,000 in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain (unofficial estimates) The breakdown of Iraqi population by religion Of the total registered Sunnis Shi ite Christians Islam Sabean- Other Yezidis unspecified Mandean Syria 58% 19.5% 14.5% 2.9% 4% 0.7% 0.6% Jordan 59% 27% 12.5% n.a. 0.7% 0.2%. 0.6% Lebanon 20.9% 44.2% 34.6% 0.2% - - 0.1% Egypt n.a n.a 2% 96% n.a n.a 2% Turkey 22.6% 7.8% 63.9% 3.8% 0.2% 1.3% 0.5% Specific needs in the hosting countries Of the total registered Specific needs Important medical condition Child at risk Woman at risk (WAR) Syria 17.8% 3 19% 4.4% 3% Jordan 17% 11.3% - 3.4% Lebanon 24% 13.2% 0.2% 4% Egypt 11% 8% - 0.5% Turkey 6.2% 3.5% - 0.5% Gender breakdown Of the total registered Male Female Female Principle Applicant Syria 51.2% 48.8% 25.9% Jordan 54% 46% 27% Lebanon 70% 30% 6.5% Egypt 52% 48% 30% Turkey 58% 42% 22% Iran 53% 47% 9% 1 The Syrian Foreign Minister announced to the UN Security Council in October 2007 that there were 1.6 million Iraqis in the country. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?newsid=24099&cr=general&cr1=debate. The current official Syrian figure is 1.5 million Iraqi refugees. Iraqi Embassy in Syria estimates that the total number of Iraqis is between 800,000 to 1,000,000. 2 FAFO Government of Jordan study. Released November 2007. 3 19,870 Iraqis registered in Syria in 2007-2008 have been classified as victims of torture/violence in Iraq.
Registration Activities Syria New appointments have generally been on a steady decline from the peak of September 2007 (1,600+ appointments issued per week) to the April-August 2009 figure of around 400-500 per week. It is expected that new registrations will continue to decrease towards the end of 2008. The waiting period has been reduced to three weeks (from 7 months). As of July 2008 all Iraqi refugees who approached UNHCR regarding their residency in Syria have been granted extensions of 1 to 3 months, and in some exceptional cases one or two years. To support protection and assistance activities outside of Damascus, and following approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNHCR has established an office in Aleppo. UNHCR has also launched mobile registration exercises for Iraqi populations residing in Hassakah, Abu Kamal, Deir Ezzor, Aleppo, Homs, Tartous, Al Hol and Lattakia. Jordan While the number of newly registered cases remains fairly constant, the number of renewals has dropped since June. At the same time the number of cases closed has also increased. In 2008 the UNHCR Amman averages 930 new registrations per month, 3,100 renewals and 530 file closures (all figures relate to persons). This has led to an almost zero growth of the active caseload. The number of interviews conducted by BO Amman though remains at a similar rate to that of 2007 i.e. 400-500 interviews/week in the registration unit alone. The relatively low number of registrations in Jordan is also influenced by the decision by UNHCR that Iraqis do not need to register to receive assistance. Lebanon In Lebanon the total number of registered has remained stable and in some weeks has dropped, largely due to resettlement departures and the closure of cases. Of those registered in 2008, 60% originate from Baghdad, which is a lower proportion than in other asylum states. In Lebanon the Iraqi population has a much higher proportion of Shiite and young males than in other asylum locations. Egypt Number of Iraqis registered, continues to fall. In July the number of newly registered Iraqis (82 persons) is far less than the number of Iraqis (290 persons) who have closed their file during the same month. A total of 983 Iraqis have closed their files in 2008. The total active population of Iraqis registered with UNHCR in Egypt at the end of July stands at 10,654 persons, almost half of which are women and young girls (5,158 persons) and 4,172 are children under the age of 18. Iraqis constitute 25% of the total refugee and asylum seeker population in Egypt. The average family size is four persons. The majority of Iraqis arrived to Egypt directly from Iraq (55%) whereas the remaining arrived through Syria (20%) and Jordan (25%). The recent departure of several hundred Iraqis on Government of Iraq sponsored flights will also impact on the number of active cases. Turkey Almost 46% of Iraqis registered in Turkey in 2008 originate from Baghdad. In Turkey a higher proportion originate from northern Iraq, particularly Ninewa than in other asylum countries. 64% of those registered are Christians. Waiting Period from Appointment to Registration In Syria, the waiting period for non-urgent new registration interviews has been reduced to approximately three week. In Jordan, the waiting period is two to three days. In Lebanon, the waiting period is less than a week. In Turkey it is two weeks. Food and Non-Food Items Distribution in Syria The WFP-UNHCR-Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) fifth distribution of food assistance in Damascus resumed on 24 June in a new location next to the registration centre of Douma. The fifth food distribution cycle ended on 22 July with a total of 142,028 Iraqi beneficiaries, 113,449 refugees in Damascus and 28,579 in the rest of Syria. In addition to food rations, UNHCR also provided non-food items (NFIs) to refugees receiving assistance for the first time. The next cycle of distribution began on 20 August. The distribution consists of basic foodstuffs from WFP (rice, lentils and vegetable oil) and complementary commodities supplied by UNHCR (tea, sugar, tomato paste, pasta, cracked wheat, washing detergent, mattresses and blankets). A new warehouse has been built to store the food at UNHCR s Douma Registration Centre. The delivery of food and supplies will take place at night as the centre is used to register and counsel the thousands of refugees who visit the centre during daylight hours Rising food and fuel prices, the seasonal rise in rents and diminishing savings are resulting in more and more Iraqi refugees becoming reliant upon assistance from the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations Cash Assistance in Syria At the end of July, 10,533 ATM cards had been distributed (one per family) which means 30,533 refugees were covered by the monthly financial assistance scheme. The total cost per month of the programme is approximately USD 2 million. Heads of households receive approximately US$100 (SYP5000) per month, with an additional US$10 (SYP500) for each dependent. The cash assistance is intended to support the enrolment of Iraqi children in Syrian schools and prevention efforts against problems such as sexual gender based violence, homelessness and child labour.
Inside Iraq, UNHCR distributed NFIs to 1,000 returnee families in Salman Pak sub-district and Al Wihda sub-district in Al Maidan. NFIs included mattresses, blankets, water containers, kitchen and hygiene kits. International NGOs in Syria In addition to the three international NGOs (Première Urgence, the Danish Refugee Council and International Medical Corps) that have already signed MOUs, the International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC) and the Qatari Red Crescent are respectively the fourth and fifth INGO to sign agreements with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Education in Syria The distribution of uniforms, shoes and school materials is taking place seven days a week and is expected to outfit 30,000 children from Damascus and Rural Damascus before the start of the Syrian school year on Sept. 7. Last year, UNHCR's distribution reached 20,000 Iraqi children. On the first day, over 700 excited children who are already enrolled in primary and secondary schools received their supplies from the private Syrian company AASCO, which helped UNHCR and SARC volunteers distribute the kits. Each school kit includes a school bag containing around 50 stationary items, a uniform, school shoes, sports clothes and sports shoes. Depending on the school grade, the total cost per child varies between $46 U.S.and $79 U.S., a significant amount for refugee families with several children enrolled at school, but no money coming in. In 2006-2007, the Syrian Ministry of Education counted 33,100 Iraqi children and adolescents at school; by 2007-2008 there were 49,132. UNHCR hopes this coming school year will see a further increase in the number of Iraqi refugees attending school. In addition to the 2008 educational funds, UNHCR has provided 10 German DAFI scholarships for Iraqis in higher education. UNHCR is also advocating in favour of a 25% discount in tuition fees for around 100 Iraqi students in Syrian Universities in 2008/2009. Health - Syria Through its main implementing partner in Syria, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, UNHCR has opened clinics (7 in areas of high concentration of refugees in Damascus) to provide subsidised health services for Iraqi refugees that have either registered or applied for an appointment to register with UNHCR In Syria, over 312,000 medical referrals and interventions (incl. 7,625 operations) were made on behalf of Iraqis in the first seven months. This compares to over 215,000 (incl. 4,550 operations) for the whole of 2007. Cases that cannot be treated at primary healthcare facilities are referred to Syrian public hospitals All refugees who apply for a UNHCR registration appointment, or who are registered, have access to subsidised health care at Red Crescent clinics. UNHCR believes that up to 50% of those who are approaching UNHCR for an appointment are doing so with the primary purpose of accessing subsidised medical care in Syria. Many of these persons are then not showing up for the appointed registration interview which has been a major factor in the high no show rate for new registration. Assistance in Jordan A total of 3,757 cases/families received financial assistance during the month of May through CARE international, Mercy Corps and the Jordanian Alliance Against Hunger (JAAH) The distribution of food and hygiene packages is taking place through the Jordanian Alliance Against Hunger. Contract for cash distribution through the ATM cards was signed between UNHCR and Cairo Amman Bank The Ministry of Education issued a letter dated 18 August exempting Iraqi children from public school fees and text books costs for the school year 2008/2009. UNHCR is working with UNICEF on Informational Material about registration at public schools to be distributed to the Iraqi Community UNHCR has initiated a campaign to help increase enrolment in the 2008/2009 academic year Assistance Provided Beneficiaries (cumulative 2008) Target Family Individuals Family Individual Food 3,550 3,550 Non-food Items (winterization packages) 995 3,500
Sanitary Materials - - Hygiene kits 3,550 3,550 Diapers - - Cash (monthly) 2,846 2,500 One-time cash - - Uniforms for children 9,000 Enrolment of 50,000 children in private and public schools Stationary 9,000 Education centres 5 informal education centres established, 19 centres provide non-formal education Medical interventions/consultations 18,444 cases 60,000 Mental health support /consultations 14,121 cases 195 secondary 27,000 500 secondary Legal and Social counseling 1,131 cases 10,000 cases Some 7,000 home visits have been conducted by 347 social workers and volunteers. Through the 21 community centres which have been established, over 42,000 vulnerable individuals have been identified. Some specialized assistance was provided to 419 disabled and 99 UAC/SC cases. SGBV survivors assisted include 10 with shelter, 1,176, with counseling, material assistance and vocational skills training, 331 with education, and 646 with legal counseling. Assistance in Lebanon UNHCR has distributed food and NFIs to 3,800 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon Most Iraqis in Lebanon spend their food coupons on necessity items such as: milk, rice, meat, toilet paper, detergents, and personal hygiene materials (shampoo, soap, toothpaste). There are a few coupons used for clothing and pyjamas. During June, UNHCR s Community Services team in Lebanon counseled and assisted 111 cases (23% female and 77% male), including 10 cases victims of torture, 7 women at risk, 5 unaccompanied children, 5 disabled refugees and 2 SGBV cases. There are only two Community Centers: The first is in Chiyyah, the second in Tayyouneh and both are run by AMEL organization. Assistance Provided Beneficiaries (cumulative 2008) Family Individuals Food - - Non-food Items (packages) 610 (2,698) Sanitary Materials 767 Hygiene kits - - Diapers 332 Cash (monthly) 299 One-time cash 208 Education grants 318 Uniforms for children - Stationary - Medical interventions 2028 cases Mental health support 170 Legal and Social counseling 9,401 cases Assistance in Egypt 1,239 Iraqis received health assistance which is a significant increase over May (951) In July, 297 Iraqis received counselling, 594 Iraqis received cash assistance and 1,273 benefitted from subsidized health care. 2,621 Iraqi children supported with education grants in 2008. Women at Risk (WAR) While the exact figures for WAR cases are difficult to assess, the number of female principal applicants is often a good indicator of the number of women unaccompanied by a male relative and the number of female-headed households, both of which are considered to be WAR. The relatively high number of WAR cases is a direct result of the number of males killed in Iraq (either due to the recent violence or from prior conflicts), the large number of husbands abandoning their families and returning to Iraq or some families splitting to take advantage of enhanced assistance/opportunities for resettlement. Over a quarter of total number of cases in the region are registered by female principal applicants. Syria: 16,296 cases (26%), Jordan: 6,749 cases (27%), Lebanon: 366 cases (6.5%), Egypt: 1,173 cases (30%),Turkey: 637 (22%) SGBV and Community Services As of June 13, 2008 UNHCR has registered 538 SGBV cases in Syria, 4,516 cases in Jordan and 33 in Lebanon. Of those, UNHCR has provided assistance to 348 SGBV survivors in Syria, 4,064 in Jordan and all 33 in Lebanon In June alone, UNHCR Jordan identified 20 survivors of SGBV, including three minors; 17 of these were female and three were male UNHCR in Jordan will contribute US$ 10,000 to the national center for family affairs in support of their regional conference on violence against the family to be held in November 2008 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania. In Syria UNHCR is supporting survivors and working on prevention activities including direct assistance (both financial and material). UNFPA, UNICEF, IOM, UNDP and UNHCR are working on a joint strategy to enhance access to refugee women in detention.
UNHCR is currently securing access to more than 70 Iraqi women in Douma Prison, and 8 Iraqi Girls (12-17 years old) in the Juvenile and Rehabilitation Centre. The majority of the girls and women are survivors of SGBV including rape and forced prostitution. Since the beginning of the year, 2 juvenile survivors of trafficking have been resettled to third countries. UNHCR is supporting several safe houses in Damascus which provide accommodation, food, social counselling, vocational training, medical services for women and/or her children who have suffered any form of violence (domestic, sexual) either in Iraq or in the Syria. In Syria six community centers are operational and provide social and recreational activities, and additional 2 centers have been opened to accommodate more people. An outreach program has been established, 48 outreach women deployed to reach vulnerable refugees and unregistered vulnerable persons. The outreach workers cover around 31 different areas in Damascus and rural Damascus where participatory assessment was carried out. In addition, 18 specialized volunteers for education, elderly and psychosocial support also work for refugees. Those outreach workers made 2,541 referrals of urgent cases and 247 home visits. Resettlement Since the first quarter of 2007 UNHCR has referred over 40,000 Iraqis for resettlement, 30,000 of whom have been referred to the US. Some 15,000 Iraqis have departed, including 10,000 to the US. Of the 40,000 referrals, Syria has referred 14,500, Jordan 14,200, Lebanon 4,000, Turkey 6,700, Egypt 700, Others 700; Of the 15,000 departures, 5,000 have departed from Syria, 6,000 from Jordan, 800 from Lebanon, 2,500 from Turkey, 300 from Egypt and 300 from others. There has been as significant increase in the number of resettlement departures to the US over the past three months. Cumulative UNHCR Iraqi Submissions versus Arrivals to the United States (including non-unhcr) 35000 Persons 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 1952 19 Feb/March 2007 2934 20 UNHCR Submissions to the United States Arrivals to the United States (including non-unhcr) 6044 21 7911 84 9117 141 10089 670 11458 May July September November January 2008 1559 13041 2009 14476 2371 15456 2616 16454 2991 19337 3435 22164 24676 26119 27132 28733 4186 5160 6301 8022 March May July 10375 30768 UNHCR Iraqi Submissions versus Arrivals (USA Only) by Month (Since start of program) 3500 UNHCR Submissions to the United States 3000 3110 Arrivals to the United States (including non-unhcr referred) 2883 2827 2500 2512 2353 Persons 2000 1500 1000 1952 19 982 1 1 1867 1206 972 1369 889 1583 1435 980 998 751 974 1443 1141 1013 1721 1601 2035 500 63 57 529 450 362 245 375 444 0 Feb/March 2007 May July September November January 2008 March May July
Voluntary Repatriation While UNHCR welcomes the reduction in the number of recorded security incidents in Iraq since the last quarter of 2007, its assessment is that, overall, the basic conditions for sustainable, large-scale return of Iraqi refugees in conditions of safety and dignity are not yet in place. In the asylum countries themselves, a range of factors, including those which have restricted protection space, have evidently played a role in the decision that some refugees have made to return to Iraq. At this point there is no clear trend with Iraqis both returning to and leaving their country. Often the reasons for movement are complex with religious holidays, the end/start of school, family/property visits being intertwined with changes in the perception of the security in Iraq (both deteriorating and improving) In early August Abdul Khaliq Zanqana, Chairman of the Committee for the Displaced, reported that some 11,400 displaced families returned to Baghdad in July due to improved security. While this is a positive development it is still modest compared to the total numbers of displaced people within Iraq and outside it. Zanqana added "returning is not easy, 3,000 houses belonging to the displaced in different regions of the Iraqi capital, are still occupied by strangers and they refuse to leave. According to official Syrian statistics from the Interior Ministry, cited in the ICG report, 365,093 Iraqi refugees left and 286,145 entered between 1 October 2007 and 23 April 2008, suggesting a net decrease in the Iraqi refugee population in Syria of some 80,000. In Egypt some 900 Iraqis have deregistered since January 2008. The majority of who have decided to return to Iraq often however citing the difficulty of remaining in a country without the opportunity to work or access public services. During August the Government of Iraq have provided four planes which have transported some 900 Iraqis back to Baghdad from Cairo. From Iran there has been a steady, albeit limited return, with some 450 Iraqis returning through UNHCR Ahwaz this year. Main destinations have been Basra, Shatt-Al Arab and Al-Midaina. Visa and deportation issues Syrian authorities have assured UNHCR that Iraqi families with school-aged children currently in Syria would be issued one to threemonth residencies to allow them to stay over the summer and until the beginning of the next school year. Since 1 July 2008, Syria has reduced the cost of the three-month residence authorisation visa automatically given to persons arriving at the border, from USD50 down to USD15 Since February 2008, according to Syrian Immigration sources, the daily average number of Iraqis entering Syria at the Al Tanf border is roughly the same as the number of departures of Iraqis from Syria at the same crossing point Returnees Returns continue at a slow pace throughout the country, with most returns concentrated in Baghdad (the place of origin for most displaced internally or abroad) 4 According to MoDM some 8-10,000 IDPs are estimated to be returning per month. IOM notes, however, that newly displaced families often arrive as soon as returnees depart for their places of origin 5 IRCS reports that, Many IDP families do not consider returning to their original areas of residence because their homes were destroyed or because they do not think that security is really enforced 6 Returnees mostly return to neighbourhoods under control of members of the sect they belong to. To date, only a few families have returned to areas under control of another sect. Very few members of minority groups (e.g., Christians, Sabaean-Mandaeans and Yazidis) have been reported to be among the returnees 7. Many returnee families are finding their property destroyed or in use. 41% of assessed returnees report regular access to Public Distribution System (PDS) food rations, while 57% report that they do not have regular access to food rations and 2% report no access. 51% of returnees report no access to health care. Only 58% report that they feel safe all of the time. Of those assessed, few returnees (especially women) became employed once they returned. Among the main dangers and concerns for returnees are detention and kidnappings, reported from all over the country, but reported frequently in Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Muthanna, Ninewa, Salah Al-Din and Wassit Governorates 8 There are concerns regarding the sustainability of the improved security situation, given that it largely depends on international security presence and local arrangements (Sahwa/Awakening Councils, Mehdi Army ceasefire). In addition, access and provision of services remains limited and an increase of the population could strain the absorption capacity of the areas of return 9 Activities Inside Iraq IDPs The number of IDPs post-february 2006 is now almost 1.6 million 10. The number of IDPs has increased, even though fewer displacements are occurring, mainly because MoDM has increased their capacity in entering data of already registered IDPs in the central database in Baghdad. IDPs in Diyala and Salah al Din are still facing serious danger when returning to their homes. Rising costs of fuel, rent, and food and high levels of unemployment are causing deteriorating conditions for IDPs (and host communities) throughout the country. Attaining employment is even more difficult for women and widows, especially in increasingly conservative areas 11 Tense relations between the host community and the displaced population were indicated in the Governorates of Al-Anbar, Baghdad, Diyala, Kerbala, Kirkuk, Missan, Najaf and Ninewa, mostly due to overburdened services, house/land disputes and rising prices and, to a lesser degree, the (perceived) behaviour of the group and employment. 4 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008). 5 IOM, Post February 2006 Displacement in Iraq, p2. 6 IRCO, Update 35, p3. 7 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p1 8 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p7. 9 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p9. 10 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008); IOM, Emergency Needs Assessment, 1 July. 11 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p1.
The majority of IDPs are renting housing, although they often live in overcrowded conditions in substandard rental property, and, as rental prices continue to rise and IDPs financial resources dwindle, more and more IDPs are reportedly being evicted from their homes 12 The IDP Working Group notes that eviction from public property is a widespread concern amongst IDPs. 13 Although a May GoI eviction order for IDPs living on public property was postponed in early June, local authorities are reported to be responding in an ad-hoc manner; in some governorates, such as Basrah and Muthanna, authorities have ordered all IDPs and squatters to leave public property. In other governorates, local authorities are applying the order only to certain areas or land. Regardless, the IDPs are given no other option for shelter, often forcing them into secondary displacement By far, the majority (63.8%) of IDPs have been displaced from (or within) Baghdad, followed by Diyala. 14 Access to food remains a priority need of many IDPs, especially in Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah, as many families do not have access to PDS rations and a lack of familial income and lack of adequate security greatly hinder their access to markets 15 The Associated Press, in conjunction with IOM, has released an excellent interactive website on Iraq s internally displaced populations: http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/wdc/iraq_displacement/index.html?site=ap Sadr City Initiative Since initiating the Sadr City initiative in mid-may, which aimed to promote confidence at the community level through supporting the emergency rehabilitation of homes and shops in conflict affected areas, UNHCR and its partners have now achieved the following: Phase Location Houses Planned Works Started Completed Individuals Individuals Phase I Sadr city 100 14/05/2008 15/05/2008 100 900 2,700 Shole 100 28/04/2008 30/04/2008 101 909 2,070 Sadr city 100 06/06/2008 08/06/2008 100 1,102 Jamila Mkt 15 06/06/2008 10/06/2008 15 135 Sadr city 200 10/06/2008 12/06/2008 107 642 Mosul 200 05/06/2008 07/06/2008 113 818 Basra 223 05/06/2008 10/06/2008 223 1,338 Basra 8 05/06/2008 01/07/2008 8 48 Mosul 200 91 840 Mosul 100 28/07/2008 1680 Mosul - shops 34 28/07/2008 01/08/2008 28 168 TOTAL: 1280 886 6,900 6,450 Phase II Sadr city 400 13/07/2008 27/07/2008 41 442 Sadr city - Shops 50 13/07/2008 27/07/2008 Sadr city 200 13/07/2008 24/07/2008 32 280 Mosul 50 13/07/2008 28/07/2008 9,780 Basra 200 13/07/2008 Basra 2,742 Basra 2,400 TOTAL: 2,180 959 7,622 21,372 12 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p13. 13 IOM, Post February 2006 Displacement in Iraq, p1; IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p14 14 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p6. 15 IDP Working Group, Update (June 2008), p12.
Region No of Kits Modality Completed Center 3,500 UNHCR direct 1,500 UNHCR direct 1,000 2,000 UNHCR direct South 311 Local procurement 313 800 Local procurement 107 1772 Local procurement 1,072 480 Local procurement North 800 Local procurement 640 100 Local procurement 135 TOTAL: 12,263 2,267 Conference on Iraq s National Policy on Displacement July 8 th and 9 th, MoDM held the National Conference on Iraq s National Policy on Displacement. Some 300 participants attended, representing the central Government, Parliamentarians, Governorates, Municipalities, national/international NGOs, UN Agencies, ICRC and Diplomatic Missions Key recommendations from the Conference: o Urgent need to apply the positive principles and recommendations of the policy by the Central Government o Provision of grants to all displaced families (so far some 140,000 families received 120 US$ for 6 months period; an additional 80,000 families in Central South and 35,000 families in KRG will be included under the latest budget) o Minister agreed to carry out registration of unregistered IDPs - this problem is particularly serious in Kerbala with an estimated o 5,000-7,000 unregistered IDP families Many Governors, Deputy Governors and Sheikhs highlighted the social burden of hosting IDPs and suggested that they should be returned to their places of origin, even involuntarily. It was suggested that dedicated budgetary allocations should be provided to Governorates hosting IDPs. This would ease the pressure and the call for involuntary returns o More rigorous application of existing compensations laws - for property loss/damage before 2003 and for personal sufferings - death, injuries. The need for a property compensation law was emphasized by many participants. Non-Iraqi Refugees Currently there are 42,094 non-iraqi refugees inside Iraq: 14,914 Palestinians, 15,626 Turks, 10,830 Iranian (Kurds & Arabs), 586 Syrians, 141 Sudanese and 2 Somalis. As of 31 July UNHCR and MoDM have registered 10,566 (3,055 families) Palestinians in Baghdad. In addition to those residing in Baghdad UNHCR has recorded 1,367 in Al Waleed (down from previous figure of 1,962), 847 in Al Tanf (an increase from 732) and 334 in El Hol (up from 296). The difference in Al Waleed may be explained by errors in earlier counts or the departure for destinations unknown as well as returns to Baghdad. The number of Palestinians in the border camps will continue to fluctuate with recent/planned departures to Sweden (158), Iceland (29), Norway, and Denmark. UNHCR has repeatedly called for international support for the Palestinians but with few results. Few Palestinians in the border camps have been accepted for resettlement or offered shelter in third countries; only some 300 Palestinians left to non-traditional resettlement country such as Brazil and Chile. Palestinian Camps Al-Tanf Palestinian refugee camp in no man's land on Iraq-Syria border; established in April 2006 with an initial group of 389. Total is now 847. Despite the resettlement of some refugees, the arrival of almost equal numbers of Palestinians from Damascus is putting additional strain on the already difficult living conditions in the camp. Please see recent Amnesty Report on Al Tanf (http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/mde14/012/2008/en/9883f134-0a09-11dd-badf- 1352a91852c5/mde140122008eng.pdf) El Hol In Syria in Hassakeh Province, first movement of Palestinians in September 2005 Recently, UNHCR completed the registration of 99 cases and that of 3 additional cases of family reunification from Damascus The total number of refugees in Al Hol is now 334. Al Waleed Palestinian refugee camp. Established mid 2006. 200 meters inside Iraq, near Syrian border. 1,367 persons. Due to the poor conditions in the camp UNHCR in cooperation with SRSA is currently relocating the camp to another site. ICRC has also installed the reverse osmosis plants and are now able to use the local water sources, thus no longer need to carry out the expensive water trucking operation.
M.Zirn/UNHCR/Al Waleed Protection and Assistance Centres in Iraq 14 Centres with at least one mobile team; plus an additional 5 independent Dedicated Outreach Mobile Teams (DMTs) in Anbar, Mosul, Diyala, Babylon and Salah Al Din. All 18 Governorates 34 mobile teams enabled assessments of needs of population of concerns and the provision of assistance, particularly in rural areas or where large numbers of IDPs are concentrated. 70% of beneficiaries were reached through mobile teams and the remaining 30% at Centres. 138 core staff in total (Iraqi lawyers, managers/team leaders, social workers, monitors, public information officers and data base officers), of which over 40% are women; all PACs included female staff to ensure equal women s access to PACs services and interventions. Mobile teams made 1,768 16 new or repeated visits to villages, settlements, public buildings, collective centres, camps and vulnerable communities. Assisted IDPs/refugees to obtain various documents 17 necessary to enjoy a wider spectrum of rights (e.g, access to other documents, registration, basic services, 18 humanitarian/financial assistance, inheritance/property/land allocation, restitution, recognition as person, 19 freedom of movement, as well as marriage and divorce rights 20 ). Coordination and Donor Relations In order to further strengthen the protection and assistance response to the situation of Iraqis inside and outside Iraq in 2009, the UN has launched a Consolidated Appeal Process that will involve all UN agencies, Governments, national and international NGOs and donors. The part of the CAP focusing on countries hosting Iraqi refugees will be coordinated by UNHCR in close consultation and cooperation with concerned countries UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams and supported by OCHA. The UN Global Humanitarian Appeal, including the Iraq CAP 2009, will be launched in December 2008. On 7 August the UN Security Council unanimously adopted draft resolution S/2008/529 through which it extended the mandate of UNAMI for 12 months). The resolution welcomed the new commitments by the Government of Iraq for the relief of internally displaced persons, encouraging continued efforts for internally displaced persons and refugees and noting the important role of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, based on its mandate, in providing advice and support to the Government of Iraq, in coordination with UNAMI. IRAQ SUPPORT UNIT CONTACT: Andrew Harper, Head of Iraq Support Unit Email: Harper@unhcr.org Telephone: (004122) 739 8105 Mobile: + 41 79 599 92 36 16 Figure includes various outreach activities carried out by mobile teams (e.g. needs assessments and project recommendations, community consultations, interventions and coordination with authorities and other bodies). 17 For example, birth/death certificate, civil ID, divorce/separation decision, school transcript, heirs deed/inheritance, CRRPD decision, employment related documents, marriage certificate, health related documents, housing card, nationality certificate, passport, PDS, pension card, driver s license and social welfare card. 18 For example, PDS/food rations, schools, medicines, social security/welfare (for unemployed, disabled, new graduates, those who lost property, families with no/low income, widows/divorced women and orphans) and transfer of jobs/employment. 19 In many cases, by assisting women to obtain documentation in their own name, the PACs secured their access to services. 20 For example, alimony, dowry/property, custody and guardianship are essential for acquiring income for women and children.