IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) reports that over 3.3 million Iraqis have been internally displaced since January 2014. More than 553,000 have returned to their places of origin in liberated areas, the majority to Salah al-Din and Ninewa governorates.
During the month of February, increased displacement has been recorded in the governorates of Ninewa (over 11,000 individuals), Anbar (8,600) and Salah al-Din (4,800) due to ongoing military operations. Meanwhile, over 5,100 displaced Iraqis returned to their sub-district of origin in Diyala governorate, bringing the total number of those who returned to Diyala since the beginning of the conflict to over 114,300.
In February IOM responded to recent and ongoing displacement through the distribution of more than 32,900 non-food item kits funded by USA, ECHO and Japan, in addition to 4,640 barrels of fuel funded by USA and Germany.
Israa Ali, who was displaced from Salah al-Din two years ago with her husband and children, said: “We are now three families living in a small rented house. It’s not easy to live in a house with more than 20 people. My husband works as a taxi driver in order to pay our share of rent. This relief kit is very useful, as we have been forced to start our lives again from zero.” In addition, sponsored by the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the rehabilitation of 130 religious buildings (husseiniyas) and 170 damaged houses in central Iraq, which are sheltering more than 5,610 displaced Iraqis, is now more than 50 per cent complete. Also funded by USAID-OFDA, psychosocial activities across seven camps in Dohuk and Erbil were organized in February, and attended by more than 1,100 displaced Iraqis. Over the same period, IOM medical teams provided nearly 18,000 primary health care consultations across seven governorates with the support of UN-OCHA.