Displacement in Iraq, Where Are We Now?
By: Gonzalo Pena
The Al-Askari mosque in Samarra, Iraq was re-opened not too long ago, its reconstruction still underway. Its golden tiles shine in the desert again, while massive and obtrusive scaffolding surrounds the dome, along with the rest of the mosque. The mosque’s image reflects a dual message of hope and weariness for those whose lives have been transformed by the conflict in Iraq. On February 22, 2006, the mosque suffered its first bombing, unleashing a wave of sectarian conflict in a country already embedded in a bloody war, one that would leave a trail of death and massive displacement that would turn Iraq into the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world.
The Conditions for the Return
Today the country is still trying to recuperate from the devastating years of 2006 and 2007 but signs of improvement are beginning to show. In a recent report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 81,000 internally displaced Iraqi have returned as of May of 2009. This news however, is far from true progress, as these returns have not always been sustainable. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to register every month approximately 2,000 refugees who leave Iraq. Equally pessimistic is the fact that only 900 of the 208,030 documented refugees in neighboring Syria have signed up for voluntary return.
In Iraq, the threat to human security is still very present, as was evident by a bombing in Baghdad that occurred only five days ago, in which six coordinated blasts produced the grim toll of almost 100 people killed and 536 wounded. In general, many of the displaced Iraqis still fear returning home given the violent deaths of many previous returnees. According to the IOM, several local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and security officials constantly confirm murders and diverse incidents of intimidation against returning Iraqi refugees.
Sadly, violence is not the only problem that threatens the displaced population. While the security situation has somewhat improved given the lower number of bombings, the reliable provision of basic public services has not. According to the IOM, local assessments performed by several aid agencies indicate that displaced Iraqis who choose to return usually face a lack of shelter, electricity, and water.
Unemployment is another obstacle that the displaced must confront. In neighboring Syria, where according to the UNHCR, the Iraqi refugees population passed the 1.5 million mark, legal work is virtually non-existent, and the risk of deportation is ever-present. Forced to take illegal work, many families are exposed to exploitative conditions. According to the NGO Refugees International, a week’s wages for an Iraqi refugee in Syria hovers around $50. In an effort to counteract this situation, the UNCHR offices in Syria provides needs-based cash assistance, which is the equivalent of US $113 per month, plus $10 for each additional member of the family, up to $200. This assistance however, rarely makes ends meet given the rising cost of living. It is also worth noting that the program (which has not been fully funded by donors for the current year yet) is limited to “high-risk” groups of the refugee population, which the UNHCR deems to be in a greater state of vulnerability (large families, disabled individuals, the elderly or female-headed households).
In regards to food security, the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) is seeking $90 million to continue distribution of emergency half-rations to the internally displaced. The WFP has also reported that female-headed households remain as the most insecure group in Iraq. On the refugee side, the WFP provides food every two months to most registered Iraqi refugee families, while the UNHCR provides more diverse commodities.
Furthermore, the healthcare situation in Iraq remains dire, as only 18,000 healthcare workers remain in the country, in stark contrast to the 2000 figure of 36,000 workers. In the meantime, international NGO’s have created health programs to aid the population. The unsanitary conditions of many medical facilities cause the distrust of many civilians, who usually preferred the use of private services when dealing with healthcare.
Property issues have also risen in the last few months, a situation that resembles the one in former Yugoslavian nations after the conflict in the nineties. Disputes about property usually involve returnees who are unable to settle in their own home given that other Iraqis found the abandoned property and currently occupy it. Unfortunately, these types of property issues have the tendency to linger for years, and most importantly, they have the potential to spark even more violence within the civilian population.
The Return and its Inherent Price
Adding more frustration to relief efforts, the returning displaced Iraqis have turned from a human security priority to a politicized issue. Over the past 18 months, the government of Iraq has actively encouraged the return of refugees and internally displaced people to their homes. So actively in fact, according to Refugees International, it has become a part of the government’s security strategy, instead of its inherent result. In the political viewpoint of the government, the massive return of Iraqis would be automatically perceived as an improvement in security, thus increasing local and international trust, which ultimately translates into greater leverage for political and military action. The Iraqi government has not only provided buses and planes for the return of refugees from Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, but it also, in a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, requested the Syrian government to close its borders in 2007 to reduce the negative image of insecurity while the exodus of refugees was still high.
The problem, as evident by the low standards in public services, is that the country is not even prepared to receive a mass return, and should it occur, it will only further complicate an already complex and strained situation. Furthermore, the political undertone with which aid is painted reflects directly into the diverse population of internally displaced peoples and refugees. While the government of Iraq offers financial help to relocate displaced peoples to their homes, such help comes with the qualifying condition that the affected must have been displaced between 2006 and 2007. The terrible result of this political calculation, is the exclusion of many Sunni Muslims, who mainly fled their homes between 2004 and 2005 in the beginning years of the Iraq war, thus excluding them from receiving government assistance. More frustrating still, while internationally accepted tallies of Iraqi refugees has surpassed the million person mark, the current Shiite-led government in Baghdad has only recognized a figure of 400,000 refugees, feeding the perception of marginalization and disdain from the Shiite majority government towards the “traitors” and “Baathist” people who fled to Syria.
Point of No Return?
A viable return to Iraq remains to be seen for many, given the current conditions of the country. Violence is still present, as the deadly bombing on August 19th in Baghdad confirms. However, in recognition to the resilience and human spirit of the displaced, it is fair to mention that many Iraqi families remain hopeful of returning to their homeland. According to the IOM, of the 140,000 families displaced from the neighborhoods of Baghdad, 78% intend to return home. In the meantime, Iraq remains a nation, which like the Al-Askari mosque, is trying to shine in the desert, welcoming some visitors, while trying to rebuild its walls in the midst of the conflict.
List of Sources:
Iraq: Preventing The Point of No Return. Refugees International Field Report, April 7 2009
Iraqi Refugees: Women Rights and Security Critical to Reforms, April 15, 2009
IOM Emergency Needs Assessments Post February 2006 Displacement in Iraq 1 April 2009; Monthly Report
Bio
Gonzalo’s background in different areas like Diplomacy International Development, Refugee Issues, Human Security, Non-profit Management, Diversity Issues, Disaster Relief and has given him a broadened view of the globe and the issues humanity faces in its current reality. He served for two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and worked as consultant for the United Nations has worked in prominent organizations like Standard and Poor’s, Morgan Stanley-Smith Barney, and The American Red Cross of Greater New York.
