International Organization for Migration and Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration Survey of Displaced Iraqis

The following commentary originally appeared in Musings On Iraq

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently released two reports on Iraq’s refugees. The first was a joint survey with Iraq’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration of 2,102 Iraqi families that returned to their homes. The 13,858 individuals were interviewed from December 15, 2007 to August 2008. 1,890 families were internally displaced, while 212 were foreign refugees who came back to Iraq. 7,196 were males, and 6662 were females. 56%, were children under 18 years old. The majority either came from or returned to Baghdad, which has seen the largest displacement, especially during the sectarian war of 2006-2007.

Overall, the IOM reported that 21,066 families, 126,396 people total, have returned so far. 18,757 of those were internally displaced, while 2,309 were internal refugees. Of those surveyed, 38.58% said they were coming back because of improved security in their area. Almost as many, 36.39% said that it was a combination of better security and difficulties with being displaced. Only 0.29%, the lowest percentage, said they were going back because the government was offering money to those who returned. The vast majority were still facing extreme difficulties however. 88% of heads of households for example, were able to work, but not employed. On the positive side 86% of those surveyed were able to return to their original homes. 43% of those found them in good condition, while 42% said there were damages.

Here are the results of the report.

Overall Returnees In Iraq

Total number returned as of September 5, 2008: 21,066 families, 126,396 people

• Baghdad 9790 families (58,740 people)
• Diyala 5604 families (33,624 people)
• Anbar 3087 families (18,522 people)
• Maysan 626 families (3756 people)
• Ninewa 604 families (3624 people)
• Basra 458 families (2748 people)
• Karbala 182 families (1092 people)
• Tamim 158 families (948 people)
• Wasit 118 families (708 people)
• Babil 112 families (672 people)
• Najaf 95 families (570 people)
• Salahaddin 95 families (570 people)
• Dhi Qar 86 families (516 people)
• Muthanna 24 families (144 people)
• Qadisiyah 24 families (144 people)
• Dahuk 3 families (18 people)

Total number of internally displaced families that have returned: 18,757 (85%)

• Baghdad 8774 families
• Diyala 5576 families
• Anbar 2357 families
• Ninewa 604 families
• Basra 456 families
• Maysan 401 people
• Karbala 123 families
• Babil 102 families
• Wasit 87 families
• Tamim 76 families
• Najaf 70 families
• Dhi Qar 57 families
• Salahaddin 56 families
• Qadisiyah 14 families
• Dahuk 3 families
• Muthanna 1 family

Total number of international refugee families that have returned: 2,309 (11%)

• Baghdad 1016 families
• Anbar 730 families
• Maysan 225 families
• Tamim 82 families
• Karbala 59 families
• Salahaddin 39 families
• Wasit 31 families
• Dhi Qar 29 families
• Diyala 28 families
• Najaf 25 families
• Muthanna 23 families
• Babil 10 families
• Qadisiyah 10 families
• Basra 2 families

Results of Survey

Overall:
Surveyed: 2,102 returnee families, 13,858 people, from December 15, 2007 to August 2008

• 1,890 families were internally displaced, 212 were international refugees
• 7,196 men, 6,662 women
• 6,051 18 & over (44%), 7,807 kids (56%)
• 59.9% Shiite, 39.9% Sunni, 0.1% Christian
• 88% of heads of households able to work but not, 20% were working
• 56.6% unemployment rate, 50.8% of men, 97.3% of women

Who and where were people surveyed:

Anbar:

• 59 families interviewed (480 people)
• 41 were displaced, 18 refugees
• Interviewed people in al-Kaim, Fallujah, Ramadi

Babil:

• 23 families (143 people) interviewed
• 20 displaced, 3 refugees
• Interviewed people in al-Mahawil, al-Musayab, Hilla

Baghdad:

• 1322 families interviewed (7744 people)
• 1232 displaced, 90 refugees
• Interviewed people in Abu Ghraib, Adhamiya, Al Resafa, Karkh, Madain,
• Mahmoudiya, Taji

Basra:

• 5 families (37 people) interviewed
• 5 displaced, 0 refugees
• Interviewed people in al-Zubair, Basra

Diyala:

• 209 families (1220 people) interviewed
• 193 displaced, 16 refugees
• Interviewed people in al-Khalis, al-Muqdadiya, Baladrooz, Baquba, Khanaqin

Karbala:

• 12 families (83 people) interviewed
• 0 displaced, 12 refugees
• Interviewed all in Karbala

Maysan:

• 78 families (435 people) interviewed
• 78 displaced
• All in Amarah

Muthanna:

• 20 families (103 people) interviewed
• All 20 refugees
• Interviewed people in al-Rumaitha and Al-Samawa

Najaf:

• 29 families (107 people) interviewed
• All 29 refugees
• Interviewed in Kufa and Najaf

Ninewa:

• 320 families (3249 people) interviewed
• All 320 displaced
• Interviewed in Mosul, Telafar

Salahaddin:

• 4 families (44 people)
• All 4 refugees
• Interviewed in al-Daur, Tikrit

Tamim:

• 21 families (213) people
• 1 displaced, 20 refugees
• Interviewed in Daquq, Kirkuk

Reasons for Return:

• 38.58% better security in area
• 36.39% improved security and difficulties with displacement
• 16.56% very difficult displacement
• 7.09% other
• 0.67% improved security and very difficult displacement
• 0.43% very difficult displacement and returnee payments
• 0.29% government payments for returnees

Place of Return:

• 1,322 families came back to Baghdad, 780 went to other provinces
• Reasons for Return in Baghdad:
• 48% improved security and very difficult displacement
• 40% improved security
• 11% other
• 1% very difficult displacement

Where they live:
86% went back to original house, 14% went back to their neighborhood but not their home

• Karbala 100% home (12 families)
• Anbar: 98% home (58 families), 2% neighborhood (1 family)
• Diyala 96% home (201 families), 4% neighborhood (8 families)
• Babil 91% home (21 families), 9% neighborhood (2 families)
• Baghdad 91% home (1198 families), 9% neighborhood (124 families)
• Ninewa 86% home (275 families), 14% neighborhood (45 families)
• Najaf 66% home (19 families), 34% neighborhood (10 families)
• Muthanna 65% home (13 families), 35% neighborhood (7 families)
• Tamim 43% home (9 families), 57% neighborhood (12 families)
• Basra 40% home (2 families), 60% neighborhood (3 families)
• Salahaddin 25% home (1 families), 75% neighborhood (3 families)
• Maysan 100% neighborhood (78 families)

Housing and Conditions:

• 43% own house good condition
• 42% own house bad condition
• 8% renting
• 5% living with neighbor/friend/relative
• 1% squatting on others’ land
• 1% improvised shelter on own land
• 1% other

Anbar: 42.6% own house good condition, 42.2% own house bad condition, 7.8% renting, 5.2% living with neighbor/friend/relative, 0.9% improvised shelter own land, 0.8% other, 0.5% squatting

Babil: 57% own house bad condition, 35% own house good condition, 4% renting, 4% living with neighbor/friend/relative

Baghdad: 52% own house good condition, 36% own house bad condition, 5% renting, 5% living with neighbor/friend/relative, 1% squatting, 1% improvised shelter on own land

Basra: 60% own house bad condition, 40% own house good condition

Diyala: 52% own house good condition, 34% own house bad condition, 9% living with neighbor/friend/relative, 4% renting

Karbala 100% own house good condition

Maysan 81% renting, 13% other, 5% living with neighbor/relative/friend, 1% own house bad condition

Muthanna: 40% renting, 35% living with neighbor/relative/friend, 20% own house good condition, 5% other

Najaf 48% own house good condition, 38% renting, 10% own house bad condition, 3% other

Ninewa: 88% own house bad condition, 8% own house good condition, 2% living with neighbor/relative/friend, 1% renting, 1% squatting

Salahaddin: 100% renting

Tamim 76% own house bad condition, 14% renting, 10% living with neighbor/relative/friend

Non-movable property:

• 60% good condition
• 26% partially destroyed
• 9% completely destroyed
• 5% occupied by others

In Baghdad: 56% good condition, 32% partially destroyed, 11% completely destroyed, 1% occupied by others

Movable property:

• 43% lost/stolen
• 35% have it
• 19% used by family during displacement
• 4% no answer

In Baghdad: 56% lost/stolen, 39% have it, 4% used by family during displacement

Access to food rations:

• 58% yes, but not regularly
• 34% yes, regularly
• 8% none

In Baghdad: 48% yes, but not regular, 42% yes, regular, 10% none

Have they received government payments for returnees?

• 1,043 applied
• 1.042 not applied
• 732 applied but not received any money
• 311 applied and received money
• 17 no answer

Anbar: 54 not applied, 4 applied, 3 applied and received money, 1 applied and received money, 1 no answer

Babil: 17 not applied, 6 applied, 3 applied and received money, 3 applied not received money

Baghdad: 740 applied, 568 not applied, 453 applied but not received any money, 287 applied and received money, 14 no answer

Basra: 5 not applied

Diyala: 169 applied, 155 applied but not received any money, 38 not applied, 14 applied and received money, 2 no answer

Karbala: 12 not registered

Maysan: 67 applied, 67 applied but not received any money, 11 not applied

Muthanna: 15 not applied, 5 applied, 5 applied but not received any money

Najaf: 25 applied, 25 applied but not received any money, 4 not applied

Ninewa: 308 not applied, 12 applied, 12 applied but not received any money

Salahaddin 4 not applied

Tamim: 15 applied, 11 applied but not received any money, 6 not applied, 4 applied and received money

School attendance:

• 74% have school age children
• 26% no school age children
• 83% attend school
• 9% none
• 8% only sometime

In Baghdad: 68% have school age children, 32% no school age children, 85% attend, 9%
none, 6% only sometime

Health care:

• 54.1% no access
• 45.6% access

In Baghdad: 62% access, 38% none

Feel safe?

• 58% yes
• 41% sometimes
• 1% no

Anbar: 69% yes, 31% sometimes
Babil: 65% no, 17% yes, 17% sometimes
Baghdad: 63% yes, 36% sometimes, 1% no
Basra: 60% sometimes, 20% yes, 20% no
Diyala: 91% yes, 9% sometimes
Karbala 100% yes
Maysan 100% yes
Muthanna: 100% yes
Najaf 97% yes, 3% no
Ninewa: 98% sometimes, 1% yes, 1% no
Salahaddin: 50% yes, 25% sometimes, 25% no
Tamim: 81% sometimes, 19% yes

Needs:

• 65% Food
• 56% Fuel
• 44% Other
• 42% Health
• 33% Legal Aid
• 32% Work
• 30% Water
• 28% Sanitation
• 28% Hygiene
• 24% Shelter
• 14% Education

Anbar: Fuel 85%, Food 83%, Food 56%, Legal Aid 33%, Other 32%, Work 31%,

Health 29%, Hygiene 28%, Sanitation 28%, Shelter 17%, Education 14%, Water 3%

Babil: Fuel 100%, Food 96%, Legal Aid 43%, Education 35%, Health 30%, Work 13%, Sanitation 9%, Water 9%, Hygiene 4%

Baghdad: Food 65%, Fuel 45%, Sanitation 37%, Health 35%, Other 34%, Shelter 22%, Legal Aid 21%, Work 21%, Hygiene 16%, Water 15%, Education 14%

Basra: Food 100%, Legal Aid 80%, Fuel 80%, Water 60%, Health 60%, Work 60%, Hygiene 20%

Diyala: Food 93%, Water 76%, Fuel 71%, Other 63%, Health 53%, Education 42%, Hygiene 32%, Sanitation 32%, Shelter 30%, Legal Aid 21%, Work 5%

Karbala: Health 100%, Hygiene 100%, Legal Aid 83%

Maysan: Shelter 100%, Other 99%, Food 92%, Legal Aid 9%, Education 1%

Muthanna: Shelter 80%, Work 75%, Other 70%, Fuel 25%, Health 20%, Food 15%

Najaf: Fuel 90%, Water 83%, Sanitation 79%, Shelter 72%, Work 69%, Legal Aid 66%, Hygiene 48%, Food 45%, Other 38%, Health 34%, Education 3%

Ninewa: Legal Aid 98%, Fuel 98%, Work 95%, Health 83%, Hygiene 86%, Water 80%, Other 66%, Food 40%, Shelter 3%, Education 2%

Salahaddin: Food 100%, Fuel 100%, Shelter 75%, Other 75%, Health 25%, Legal Aid 25%,

Tamim: Food 100%, Water 57%, Other 57%, Shelter 52%, Work 52%, Fuel 33%, Education 29%, Hygiene 24%, Legal Aid 10%,

Dates of return:
Jan 06: 2
Feb 06: 1
March 06: 3
April 06: 4
May 06: 3
June 06: 0
July 06: 2
August 06: 4
Sep 06: 3
Oct 06: 6
Nov 06: 2
Dec 06: 2
Jan 07: 21
Feb 07: 181
March 07: 273
April 07: 74
May 07: 22
June 07: 42
July 07: 82
Aug 07: 63
Sep 07: 91
Oct 07: 127
Nov 07: 152
Dec 07: 145
Jan 08: 183
Feb 08: 182
March 08: 140
April 08: 77
May 08: 60
June 08: 72
July 08: 12
Unknown: 71

SOURCES
Ministry of Displacement and Migration & International Organization for Migration, “Returnee Monitoring and Needs Assessments Tabulation Report,” September 2008
United National High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), “Internal displacement update for Iraq,” Reuters, 4/1/08

Reports: 8/6/2008

Key reports on the Iraq relief and development:

Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Iraqi Revenues, Expenditures, and Surplus
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
August 2008
From 2005 through 2007, the Iraqi government generated an estimated $96 billion in cumulative revenues (mostly from oil sales). For 2008, GAO estimates that Iraq could generate as much as $86 billion in total revenues. From 2005 through 2007, the Iraqi government spent an estimated $67 billion on operating and investment activities. The Iraqi government spent only 1% of total expenditures to maintain Iraq- and U.S.-funded investments such as buildings, water and electricity installations. From 2005 through 2007, Iraq was unable to spend all its budgeted funds. In 2007, Iraq spent 80% of its $29 billion operating budget and 28% of its $12 billion investment budget. For 2008, GAO estimates that Iraq could spend as much as $35.9 billion of its $49.9 billion budget. As a result, GAO estimates a cumulative budget surplus of about $29 billion from 2005 to 2007 and projects an additional $38 to $50 billion budget surplus for 2008 (although a proposed $22 billion Iraqi budget supplemental could reduce this projected surplus). U.S. and international officials identify the shortage of trained staff, weak procurement and budgeting systems, violence and sectarian strife, and other factors affecting the Iraqi government’s ability to spend more of its revenues on capital investments.

Failed Responsibility: Iraqi Refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon
International Crisis Group (ICG)
July 2008
Although the security situation in Iraq shows progress, Iraqi refugees remain stranded, jobless and deprived of essential services, while the Iraqi government and the wider international community have failed in their responsibilities and are ill prepared to cope with a new refugee crisis, should it occur. While initially welcoming their Iraqi brethren, ICG reports that Syria and Jordan have put tough restrictions on entry. They provide few basic services and inadequate opportunities for jobs, health care and children's education. If the host countries can be faulted for unfriendly treatment of refugees, they deserve credit for receiving so many at great cost to their societies. By contrast, it is difficult to give the Iraqi government any credit. Flush with oil money, it has been conspicuously ungenerous toward its citizens stranded abroad. The attitude of Western nations also has been deeply troubling.

Iraq Displacement 2008 Mid-Year in Review
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
July 2008
During the first half of 2008, trends of decreased violence and a declining rate of displacement continued throughout the country. Yet the deteriorating conditions facing the 2.8 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs), as well as the limited returnee population, remain one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world. The report finds that about half of the population continue to get their water from unsafe sources -- 53% from nearby rivers and streams and 52% from open or broken pipes. Meanwhile, shelter is consistently among the highest-priority needs cited by IDPs, and eviction threats coupled with rapidly rising rental prices have created an even more precarious housing situation in recent months. Food access was also poor, only three in ten had regular access to food rations. About half had intermittent access and 21% no access at all. In addition, approximately two million Iraqis are refugees, mostly in neighboring Syria and Jordan, resulting in a total of 5 million internally and externally displaced.

Assessment on Returns to Iraq Amongst Iraqi Refugee Population in Syria
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
April 2008
A survey of nearly 1,000 Iraqis currently staying in Syria has shown that 95 percent fled their homeland because of direct threats or general insecurity and that only 4 percent currently had plans to return to Iraq.

Consolidated Appeal for Iraq 2008
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
February 2008
Conflict in Iraq has exacerbated chronic problems that stem from the past two decades. An estimated four million people in the country are in need of food assistance as the Public Distribution System is weakened, and only 40 percent of the population has reliable access to safe drinking water. As part of the global Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) for 2008, the $265 million Emergency Appeal for Iraq brings together 14 UN agencies and 10 NGOs to deliver urgent relief to vulnerable people in Iraq over the next 12 months. Priority areas include health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, housing and shelter, food, and protection. These operations are designed to move into recovery programs and are part of a wider effort to support Iraq’s own goals for stability and recovery.

Childhood as a War Casualty

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recently featured some highly disturbing stories detailing the impact of the war on Iraqi children. The photo on the left is from one of these articles, which discusses Doctors Without Borders operations in Jordan through the story of Shams, an infant who at six month of age was blinded by a car bomb blast near her family's home in Baghdad. Her mother died in the explosion.

Fast forward a year, and Shams and her father are now in a Jordanian hospital awaiting treatment from a plastic surgeon from Doctors Without Borders. While the surgery aims to lessen Shams' physical disfigurement caused by the car bomb, there is no possibility of restoring her vision. Her optic nerves have been destroyed to the point where she can no longer even perceive lightness or darkness.

This article, from last November, describes conditions in Iraq--lack of sanitation, good quality food, medicines, doctors, clean water, and not to mention the violence--that have put the country's children in a very precarious state. Unfortunately, since November, things have not improved and increasing levels of violence and dwindling funding are forcing the few remaining NGOs that administer aid to Iraqi children to leave the country. Under extreme physical, psychological and developmental stress, Iraqi children turn to drug use and prostitution, according to another article on the UN site:

"Sami Rubaie, 12, lives on the streets of Baghdad. He said he ran away from home because he could not stand the beatings he got from his father for not bringing home enough money from begging all day. He soon turned to glue sniffing. To support his habit, he recently joined a gang and now men have sex with him in exchange for glue and money.

“'I cry every time a man has sex with me and they usually hit me because I am crying. After I do it, my boss gives me a good quantity of glue and around US $3 dollars for food. I know what I’m doing is wrong but it’s better than living with daily beatings from my father for not bringing him enough money,' Sami said."

The Guardian has an article in which some experts speculate on the long-term psychological impact that the violence will have on Iraq's children:

"Lynne Jones, a child psychiatrist with the International Medical Corps who studied children under war in Bosnia, said: 'Children are often incredibly resilient. In a number of studies, trauma in children in war zones has tailed off quite rapidly once the violence dies down.' Their continued wellbeing depends on the kind of environment in which they live after that, and the values of their families or parents, she said.

... Dr Hassan told the Guardian of his fears for Iraq's current young generation. 'Do not make the mistake of blaming the occupation and the recent war for all of this,' he said. "For more than three decades, young Iraqis have been forced to learn how to kill. We must now learn instead about dialogue and compromise. Otherwise, we will continue to produce psychopathic personalities for whom violence is simply a means of negotiating daily life.'"

Such reports starkly emphasize the need to increase humanitarian aid in Iraq. In doing so, we can start to alleviate the suffering of child victims by increasing the resources and services available to them. With an increase in funding for organizations like the UNHCR and the IOM, US legislators will not end all the horrors in Iraq, but they can do something to help the most innocent victims of this war.

IOM Report on Iraqi IDPs

I just got back from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) where I sat in on a presentation by the International Organization for Migration's Iraq Displacement Specialist, Dana Graber, on the IOM's just-released Iraq Displacement 2006 Year in Review. While I encourage all of you to read the report in full, here is a brief outline of what it includes.

The IOM has been working in Iraq since 2003, monitoring internally displaced persons (IDPs) and contributing to emergency aid programs like Mercy Hands, directed by Kaldhoon Ali, who was kind enough to sit down recently for an EPIC Ground Truth Project interview. As you know, the the level of sectarian violence in Iraq has grown rapidly since the February 2006 bombing of al-Askari shrine, and in turn, this rise in violence has caused a sharp spike in number of IDPs. While the Iraqis with greater wealth and resources manage to flee the country to safer places like Jordan or Syria, thereby achieving refugee status and protections under international law, IDPs lack the ability to do the same and consequently are much more vulnerable. Currently, there are 370,000 IDPs in Iraq. This number has been growing at an alarming rate, with a January average of 1,000 new IDPs every 24 hours.

According to Ms. Graber, the most violent areas, which are in the center of the country, are the source for over 70% of Iraq's total IDPs for 2006. They are abandoning their homes not just because of direct threats on their lives--which take the form of everything from texts messages on mobile phones to threatening graffiti--but also because of general crime and military operations. The report contains detailed data sets that deal with the most prominent IDP issues: resettlement intentions, shelter options, property issues, food and fuel availability, health care accessibility, and the impact of displacement on women and children.

Ms. Graber concluded her sobering presentation with some information about the future of IOM funding. IOM and other organizations simply lack the funding to cope with the increasing scale of this crisis, she said. Through its humanitarian programs, IOM has assisted 30,000 families in Iraq since 2003, with 22,000 of those families receiving assistance since the February 2006 bombing of al-Askari shrine. Yet in the fifth year of this war, donor fatigue has taken a toll on funding levels. In 2006, IOM only received 25% of their requested funding. Ms. Graber shared that two organizations that work closely with IOM in providing humanitarian assistance have decided to shut down their operations in Iraq because of a lack of funds and the increasingly precarious security situation.

The State Department's PRM and USAID-OFDA, which provided the funding for the IOM report (as did IOM member states the Netherlands and Australia) have been very interested in the report's findings. Ms. Graber says that this information will be used by these and other organizations to lobby for continued, and hopefully increased, funding from Congress.