Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Council: Enabling the displaced in Iraq to participate in the electi

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[size=52]Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Council: Enabling the displaced in Iraq to participate in the elections is necessary to end their suffering[/size]

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Geneva - The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said that the state of frustration and despair experienced by the displaced in Iraq has limited their effective participation in the recent legislative elections, especially in light of the lack of improvement in their situation during the past years.[/size]
[size=45]On Tuesday, in a joint speech before the Human Rights Council in its fiftieth session, the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory and GEWA stated that the candidates for the legislative elections in Iraq used funds and incorrect promises of resettlement or compensation to obtain the votes of the displaced, as many of the displaced placed great hopes on the possibility that The outcomes of the electoral process help improve their humanitarian situation and end their suffering that has been going on for more than 7 years.[/size]
[size=45]In her speech to the council, Mikila Polizzi, a researcher in migration and asylum affairs at the Euro-Mediterranean, pointed out that despite the completion of the elections procedures by the High Electoral Commission in Iraq for more than 120,000 displaced people, including about 37,000 living in camps, and the allocation of about 309 polling stations. For them, however, many of them abstained from voting and did not participate in the electoral process, due to the feeling of betrayal and failure to fulfill the promises made by members of the House of Representatives in its last two sessions before the last elections.[/size]
[size=45]Polizzi pointed out that the displaced Iraqis, especially those living in camps, did not have a fair chance to run for elections like other fellow citizens, as they lacked the resources necessary to run for office and organize successful electoral campaigns in light of the difficult displacement environment.[/size]
[size=45]The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor and GEWA stressed the need to enable internally displaced persons in Iraq to run for elections, and to provide them with a space to choose their representatives in decision-making circles in order to work on improving their living conditions, in order to completely end their suffering.[/size]
[size=45]In June 2021, the Euro-Med Monitor documented the extent of the suffering experienced by the displaced Iraqis on the humanitarian level, which is represented in the acute shortage of food and lack of sources of income, the lack of healthy water, and the aggravation of health and education problems, as well as the inability of a large number of them to return to their original homes.[/size]
[size=45]The report lists a number of reasons why the displaced are unable to return to their original governorates and homes, including the destruction of housing, land and property, and risks related to the security conditions in the areas and governorates of the original displaced, in addition to not allowing the displaced families whose members fought with the “Islamic State” organization to return. to their areas of origin.[/size]
[size=45]He stressed the existence of a real crisis among the displaced in the issues of food security, water, education, electric power, availability of fuel, and waste removal, in addition to a significant shortage of medicines for chronic diseases and medicines for the treatment of skin diseases, in addition to the scarcity of medical devices such as laboratory equipment.[/size]
[size=45]Oral statement text:[/size]
[size=45]Mr. President,[/size]
[size=45]In September of 2021, nearly 120,000 IDPs in Iraq were eligible to vote in the country's general elections, including 37,000 who lived in camps during three election cycles in the past seven years.
Many displaced Iraqis pinned high hopes on the elections to highlight their plight and end their suffering.[/size]
[size=45]Two days before the elections, the High Electoral Commission of Iraq completed procedures related to voting for IDPs, including opening 309 polling stations for IDPs across the country. However, the electoral process in Iraq has disproportionately affected the displaced, especially the thousands trapped in tents and camps, as they lacked the resources to stand for elections and organize successful electoral campaigns.[/size]
[size=45]The acute vulnerability, despair and need that the displaced Iraqis have been experiencing for more than 7 years have made them easy targets for exploitation and manipulation, as candidates use money as well as false promises to get their votes.[/size]
[size=45]The continuous ordeal of the displaced Iraqis contributed to the reluctance of many of them to vote in the elections because they did not feel any major changes in their situation after the last two sessions of the Iraqi Parliament.[/size]
[size=45]The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor and GEWA stress that enabling internally displaced persons to run for elections is of paramount importance to enable them to effectively participate in decision-making circles and improve their living conditions.[/size]
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