Highlights
A total of 2,964 Syrians arrived to KR-I during the reporting period, using Pheshkabour border crossing point; bringing the total number of new-arrivals since January 2016 to date to 6,936 individuals.
Only 18 of these arrivals were admitted as asylum seekers in February, upon arrival in Pheshkabour border post: a drastic decrease this month, representing less than 1% of all Syrian arrivals. Other Syrians obtained a 15-day visa, as temporary visitors.
A total of 803 individuals returned to Syria through the same border post (714 registered asylum-seekers and 89 unregistered Syrians). This corresponds to an increase of 8%, as compared to the previous month.
As the economic crisis in the KR-I worsens, refugees are impacted firsthand, seeing their access to healthcare deprioritized, backlogs growing as they wait for their documentation to be processed and the few schools providing a curriculum in Arabic in danger of closure as teachers, along with other civil servants, have not been paid for months.
Operational Context The security situation remained volatile in Central Iraq in February with armed militants fighting around Fallujah and Iraqi Security Forces gathering around Mosul.
Despite a steady increase in oil prices, the budget deficit remains significant both in Iraq and at the regional level in the KR-I, fueling a political and economic crisis across the country.
No agreement could be reached on budgetary issues between Erbil and Baghdad in February, despite several attempts at negotiation by both parties. As a result, public sector salaries have not been paid for the past months, significantly disrupting public services for the local and displaced population. The KRG proposition, as a temporary solution, to deduct a percentage off civil servants’ salaries provoked social unrest in certain parts of the KR-I, further disrupting already thinstretched services in the region. The situation is now becoming critical and this month, humanitarian actors in Erbil have been informed by local authorities that they do not have sufficient budget to cover the cost of fuel for generators in refugee camps, and non-camp areas, or for repair and maintenance of water systems. It has been estimated that without functioning generators, there will be 50 to 60 per cent less water available for displaced and host communities.
As the economic climate in Iraq continues to face challenges, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is likewise affected by the region’s population increase over the last 12 to 18 months, and the costs associated with the ongoing conflict against armed opposition groups. With approximately 245,000 Syrian refugees and more than 1 million IDPs competing with the host community for jobs and resources in KR-I, enormous pressure is applied on the public services and the absorption capacity of the host community.