HIGHLIGHTS
USG announces more than $136 million in additional humanitarian assistance for displaced and other conflict-affected Iraqis in Iraq and neighboring countries
Tens of thousands flee intensifying ISF military operations in Anbar, Ninewa, and Salah ad Din governorates in recent weeks
Humanitarian agencies continue to respond to the emergency needs of IDPs, including an estimated 85,000 displaced during the ISF-led recapture of Fallujah
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
In recent months, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have intensified efforts to retake areas of Iraq held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), particularly in Anbar, Ninewa, and Salah ad Din. On June 26, Government of Iraq (GoI) officials announced the full recapture of Anbar’s city of Fallujah from ISIL. The ISF-led military offensives on Fallujah and surrounding areas displaced approximately 85,000 people between May 23 and June 20, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Since the recovery of Fallujah, continuing ISF-led offensives have displaced tens of thousands from conflict-affected areas. As of mid-July, military operations in Anbar’s Jazerat al Khalidiya area had displaced more than 2,600 people since July 1, while offensives in northern Salah ad Din’s Al Shirqat and Bayji districts had displaced more than 25,000 people since mid-June, according to IOM. In addition, nearly 6,000 individuals fleeing persistent fighting in Ninewa arrived at Erbil Governorate’s Debaga IDP camp in the first 10 days of July, exacerbating overcrowded conditions at the camp. As military operations to combat ISIL continue over the coming months, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is expected to increase substantially.
On July 20, U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced more than $136 million in additional U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian funding to assist people affected by the crisis in Iraq. The new funding supports UN agencies and international non- governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide life-saving assistance, including emergency food aid, safe drinking water, shelter interventions, health care, humanitarian protection activities, and sanitation services, to approximately 3.4 million people displaced inside Iraq and 230,000 Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, despite ongoing security and logistical challenges. The USG’s support also enables humanitarian partners to prepare for and respond to the needs of those who will become displaced as a result of the continuing ISF-led military campaigns against ISIL.