An international organization: the displaced face challenges in obtaining their basic needs

[size=52]An international organization: the displaced face challenges in obtaining their basic needs[/size]

[size=45]Translation / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]The International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued its new report on its sixth round to review the conditions of the displaced and returnees in Iraq, noting that after six years of displacement at the hands of ISIS, those families that are still in a state of displacement and returnees are also trying to find sustainable solutions to their living requirements, according to the criteria Safety, security, standard of living, family life, ease of obtaining personal documents, access to employment and social justice.[/size]
[size=45]In its study, according to criteria it adopted, the organization reached key conclusions during its sixth annual tour, which it conducted between camps and areas where displaced people and returnees are located in Iraq since 2016, in the report titled (Achieving sustainable solutions among the displaced in Iraq, after six years of displacement). Until most of the families mentioned in their comments that they are satisfied with the safety and security situation. The organization stated that 99% of the displaced outside the camps expressed full or moderate conviction about their sense of security in their areas of residence and the good treatment of the host communities.[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, the report indicated that there are still challenges facing the displaced in meeting their basic needs and standard of living as well. In light of the challenges related to providing these basic needs, the evaluation reached by the organization in its last round reveals a regression in this area from the previous rounds. As many of the displaced stated that their situation now regarding the basic needs of obtaining a job opportunity is worse than the previous period of displacement. While the process of obtaining aid and subsidies during the first years of displacement was considered vital for the families of the displaced, less than 10% of them stated during the last round that they were receiving aid and assistance. The report indicated that the type of subsidies received has also changed, as many families reported receiving food and water instead of cash and other non-food supplies.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that the displaced outside the camps bear additional financial burdens for housing, which represents one of the biggest challenges they face. The organization's sixth round surveys showed that rent allowances represent 25% of the monthly expenses of displaced families, and this percentage comes second to the percentage of expenditures on food. Therefore, the situation of being away from the original home for long periods increases the suffering of the displaced. While the displaced have the option to return, they face a problem that their homes are not fit to live in. And 77% of the displaced said that their homes were largely destroyed and unfit for habitation.[/size]
[size=45]As for social justice, its concepts have now changed for the displaced families from what they were in the previous rounds, when they were demanding retribution from the criminals who committed their right as a means to achieve social justice for them. It is financial compensation for the violations they were subjected to and the restoration of their living situation. The study revealed that there is an increase in the demand for financial compensation by the displaced for the previous rounds by 33%, as most of the displaced families considered compensation as the most important aspect of achieving social justice for them. But these compensations, which the displaced families considered an important factor in achieving social justice for them, receive a slow response from the government. While 58% of the displaced submitted requests for compensation, four out of every five families (79%) stated that their requests were still pending.[/size]
[size=45]The organization quoted a father of a family displaced from Baghdad and now living in Sulaymaniyah as saying, "Safety is good here in the city. And I can say that everyone can leave the door of his house open and sleep in peace.”[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that 67% of the displaced stated that the main reason for their feeling of safety is that the area in which they are located is stable, safe and free of conflicts, and that the host communities welcome them. The percentage of those expressing security in this round reached 95%, an increase of 66% over the previous rounds.[/size]
[size=45]Another IDP from Jalawla who lives in Erbil said, “I live in Erbil as a displaced person. Safety here is stable. I have returned from Jalawla again because the safety there is unstable and I do not trust it.” The rise in food prices due to the devaluation of the Iraqi currency against the dollar has cast a shadow on the purchasing power of the displaced families and their standard of living. One of the sons of a displaced family from Ramadi living in Basra said, “The thing that affected us a lot was the high prices. Simple things we used to buy in the past have doubled their price. Cooking oil I used to buy it for a thousand dinars, but now its price is 2.5 thousand dinars. This is the most difficult stage we are facing and it causes us financial burdens.” The report revealed that 68% of the displaced families said during this tour that their standard of living is worse than the previous stages, and that 79% of the families stated that the head of the family is the person responsible for providing money and bringing their needs amid the lack of available job opportunities.[/size]
[size=45]The mother of a displaced family from Salah al-Din living in Basra said, “I always borrow money from my brother’s wife to meet different requirements because sometimes I don’t have money and I have to borrow to get food and drink.”[/size]
[size=45]The mother of a family from Salah al-Din who lives in Sulaymaniyah said, “We receive aid only from the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, which provides us with a food basket every three or four months. The food is not of good quality and sometimes the food is past its expiry date before it reaches us.[/size]
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