Context

It is predicted that by 2024, there will be more than one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq. Most of these IDPs do not live in camps, but in informal settlements, and 9% are in precarious housing conditions. Restrictions on movement, fear and lack of livelihoods prevent these people from returning to their homeland.

In 2023, IDP camps in Ninewa, including Jeddah 5, were suddenly closed without adequate preparation or resettlement plans in place. This has left  hundreds of families facing enormous challenges in securing safe living conditions. In its work, INTERSOS continues to prioritise assistance to IDPs and Iraqi returnees, people in particularly complex situations, wives and children of people with alleged ISIL affiliations who are currently missing or detained, and ethnic and religious minorities (including Yezidi communities). 

INTERSOS’ intervention

INTERSOS is a leading provider of protection services to vulnerable populations in the country, focusing on the provision of legal services, such as awareness raising, counselling, assistance and representation in obtaining civil and legal documentation. Additionally, our humanitarian operators provide case management services for children, survivors of Gender Based Violence and persons with special needs, including psychosocial support and mental health services. In line with the localisation strategy, we also carry out capacity-building activities for national and international actors and local authorities on protection. 

Furthermore, INTERSOS is expanding its education programmes in IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in urban areas and in underserved regions of Federal Iraq. We provide access to quality education both within and outside the camps by facilitating classes for out-of-school children, providing learning materials, and training of children. We support the implementation of the Refugee Education Integration Policy (REIP) in KRI. By integrating education and child protection and promoting community engagement, we aim to improve children’s well-being in a holistic way. We also advocate at national and local levels for children’s access to documentation for education. 

Moreover, in 2023 our staff worked in the health sector in Ninewa and Salah Al-Din governorates. Our projects aimed to improve  access to essential health services, including mental health care, non-communicable diseases, sexual and reproductive health, infection prevention and control, care for the elderly and Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC).