Report
The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡'s protection monitoring report for October 2024 to March 2025 outlines significant protection challenges faced by conflict-affected communities in Iraq, based on field data from Anbar, Ninewa, and Kirkuk. In these areas, 94% of households reported difficulties accessing basic services, primarily due to financial constraints. Livelihood support was the most frequently reported need (up to 92%), followed by non-food items, legal aid, and healthcare. Returnees indicated motivations to return not because of improved conditions, but due to deteriorating displacement situations, such as unaffordable rent and lack of services. While most returnees reported feeling accepted in their communities, a notable percentage, particularly female-headed households, experienced social stigma and housing insecurity.
Legal documentation has become a significant barrier, with 27–28% of households lacking essential documents such as civil IDs, PDS cards, and passports. These deficiencies restricted access to education, healthcare, and public services, especially for returnees, women, children, and individuals with disabilities (PWDs). Financial limitations, inadequate legal awareness, and the absence of women-friendly legal services were identified as major challenges. Although some informal community mechanisms and NGO support are available, formal legal outreach and mobile registration missions remain inconsistent and limited in scope.
Children faced particularly high risks. Nearly half the respondents reported awareness of child labor, and 74–82% identified barriers to school attendance, including early marriage, financial hardship, and lack of civil documentation. Girls were disproportionately affected by social norms and early marriage, while boys were more likely to drop out of school for work. Community protection mechanisms for children were minimal or nonexistent in most assessed areas, with many families resorting to harmful coping mechanisms.
The report also highlights increasing climate-related stress: over half the households experienced impacts such as livelihood loss, water shortages, and psychological stress. Displacement and migration due to environmental factors were reported by 16% and 8% of households, respectively, with many more expressing intentions to move. These trends intersected with existing protection risks and economic deprivation, especially among youth. The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ calls for strengthened legal aid, inclusive service delivery, and climate-sensitive protection programming to meet rising needs and support durable solutions for vulnerable populations.
