Monday, October 13, 2008

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

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. (1) 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. (2)

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

For more on Iraq’s refugees see:

Al Jazeera Report On Squatters

Baghdad Issues Ultimatum To Squatters

Baghdad Sets A Deadline For Squatters (Again)

Baghdad Working On Extending Plane Trips For Iraqi Refugees From Jordan

Brookings Institution Iraq Refugee Report

Déjà Vu? Government Returns Refugees

Displaced Iraqis Returning Slowly, Government Bureaucracy Might Be Slower

Enticing Iraqi Refugees To Return

Few Iraqi Refugees Want To Return

Government Refugee Policy At Work In Najaf and Diyala

Government’s Displaced Plan?

International Crisis Group’s Report on Iraqi Refugees

Iraq’s Displacement and Migration Committee Criticizes Maliki’s Refugee Plan

Numbers on Internally Displaced Iraqis

Only Sunnis Displaced Welcomed in Baghdad’s Dora District?

Returns And Removals In Baghdad

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction’s Numbers for Iraq’s Internally Displaced

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

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