February 28, 2018 鈥 The majority of Iraqis currently displaced in Anbar by the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) feel safer in camps than back home aid agencies warned today, amid moves by Iraqi authorities to return thousands of families to their places of origin, at times with fatal consequences.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tragic to think that people feel safer in camps than in their homes when this conflict has supposedly ended,鈥 said the country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Iraq, Petr Kostohryz. 鈥淧eople are afraid of attacks of retribution, unexploded bombs, or simply have nowhere to return to. There can be no hope for peace in Iraq if the authorities cannot guarantee that people can go back home safely.鈥
Since the Government of Iraq announced the defeat of ISIS, over two million Iraqis remain in displacement. Around 9,000 people were forced from displacement camps back to their homes in Anbar in November and December 2017 and other displaced people in Baghdad governorate have been ordered to return to their homes.
鈥淭he Long Road Home鈥, a report compiled by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the 探花精选 (探花精选) and NRC, includes interviews with people living in displacement camps in Anbar and found that:
- 84 per cent felt safer in their current camps than back home,
- Only 1 per cent reported knowing that they had homes to return to,
- More than 50 per cent report that their houses were damaged or totally destroyed; and
- 16 per cent reported that their attempts to return had been blocked.
The report has also found that at least one in five people evicted from Kilo 18 in Anbar returned back to that camp after facing threats and retribution in their area of origin.
鈥淭here is a real risk that we will soon see more people pushed to return home before it is safe. Iraqis deserve a secure and permanent home to rebuild their lives and communities. The international community and Government of Iraq need to step up to make areas safe and welcoming for Iraqis who choose to return home,鈥 said 探花精选鈥檚 country director, Wendy Taeuber. 鈥淔or those who don鈥檛 want to go home they need continued support in camps and help to integrate and settle into local communities.鈥
鈥淲e need to prevent the cycle of displacement. While we understand that authorities, and often people, feel they need to return home and normalise their life again, we also know that unless it is done properly it does not amount to a durable solution and will lead to continued displacement and repercussions,鈥 according to DRC鈥檚 country director, Ian Dawes.
The aid agencies call on the authorities to respect the right of Iraqis to choose if and when they return home or, for those who are unwilling or unable to return, support them to find alternative solutions. The agencies also call on the international community to continue funding humanitarian assistance in Iraq as a lack of assistance may push people to return home prematurely.
Read the report The Long Road Home- Achieving Durable Solutions to Displacement in Iraq: Lessons from Returns in Anbar.
Footage of displacement camp, Ramadi and interview with NRC Country Director - Images -