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2010 UNHCR country operations profile - Iraq

Working environment

The context

Sporadic violence continues in Iraq, although the overall security situation is perceived to have improved. The country is in a state of transition and will see more changes in 2010, including parliamentary elections early in the year. Major development and economic rehabilitation programmes are helping to rebuild infrastucture, but a general lack of access to basic services and employment prevails. Some returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain in circumstances that cry out for humanitarian intervention.

More IDPs and refugees are returning to their areas of origin in Iraq, although large-scale returns have not taken place. Some 300,000 IDPs and nearly 80,000 refugees returned spontaneously in 2008 and 2009. At the same time, the majority of some 1.5 million IDPs have not found solutions to their plight. There are also occasional reports of new displacements. Within Iraq there are some 40,000 refugees, including some 16,000 of Turkish origin. Most of the more than 10,000 Palestinians in Iraq are found in Baghdad, while around 1,400 live in the Al Waleed camp close to the border with the Syrian Arab Republic.

In 2008, the Government's adoption of a national policy on displacement and the issuance of two presidential decrees laid the foundations for the return and reintegration of displaced people. The laws are in the process of being fully implemented.

The needs

Returnees in Iraq encounter, among other things, a lack of physical security, a dearth of livelihood opportunities and difficulties in availing themselves of social services. If returnees are not helped to re-establish themselves in their places of origin, tensions could flare up between them and local people. For their part, many IDPs live in dire conditions and do not have access to assistance. As their displacement proceeds, their need for humanitarian assistance increases. Since 2003, many refugees have been targeted in violent attacks. Although the direct threat has subsided, they remain vulnerable and require protection and basic assistance for their survival.

Main objectives

Favourable protection environment

  • Provide protection and assistance to refugees in Iraq.

  • Enhance UNHCR's role in advocating for the rights of the stateless.

  • Lobby for the implementation of national policies which protect displaced people.

Fair protection processes

  • Monitor the protection needs of returnees and IDPs through a network of Protection Assistance Centres and Return, Integration and Community Centres.

Basic needs and services

  • Provide humanitarian assistance to refugees, returnees and IDPs.

Community participation and self-management

  • Create a broad network of national NGOs that will assist vulnerable displaced people at the community level.

  • Contribute to national reconciliation at the community level through co-existence initiatives.

Durable solutions

  • Find durable solutions for refugees in Iraq.

  • Support the initial reintegration needs of returnees, particularly in the areas of shelter, water and sanitation.

  • Encourage the authorities and partners to help improve conditions in return areas and communities of return.

Key targets for 2010

  • Some 25,000 vulnerable refugees, IDPs and IDP returnee families benefit from shelter rehabilitation.

  • Small scale water and sanitation projects complement shelter programmes.

  • At least 35 mobile teams and 14 Protection and Assistance Centres provide legal aid and monitor the needs of people of concern.

  • At least 16 Return, Integration and Community Centres enhance safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable returns.

  • More than 20,000 IDPs receive legal counselling to provide them with adequate documentation and to raise awareness of their rights.

  • 40,000 refugees in camps, settlements and urban settings are assisted while durable solutions, including resettlement, are pursued.

  • Refugee status determination is conducted for 1,500 refugees.

  • Some 2,000 vulnerable refugee families are referred for resettlement.

  • The national NGO partnership programme is expanded.

2010-11 UNHCR planning figures for Iraq
TYPE OF POPULATION ORIGIN JAN 2010 DEC 2010 - JAN 2011 DEC 2011
TOTAL IN COUNTRY OF WHOM ASSISTED
BY UNHCR
TOTAL IN COUNTRY OF WHOM ASSISTED
BY UNHCR
TOTAL IN COUNTRY OF WHOM ASSISTED
BY UNHCR
Total 2,072,450 572,450 1,969,400 799,400 1,514,050 884,050
Refugees Islamic Rep. of Iran 11,200 11,200 10,500 10,500 9,200 9,200
Turkey 15,000 15,000 14,000 14,000 12,000 12,000
Palestinians 13,000 13,000 11,500 11,500 9,500 9,500
Various 1,050 1,050 1,100 1,100 1,000 1,000
Asylum-seekers Islamic Rep. of Iran 680 680 690 690 700 700
Syria 1,050 1,050 1,100 1,100 1,100 1,100
Turkey 450 450 500 500 550 550
Various 20 20 10 10 - -
Returnees (refugees) 150,000 50,000 250,000 10,000 350,000 100,000
Internally displaced 1,400,000 280,000 1,050,000 450,000 550,000 500,000
Returnees (IDPs) 350,000 200,000 500,000 300,000 450,000 250,000
Stateless 130,000 - 130,000 - 130,000 -

Strategy and activities

Refugees in Iraq need varied solutions. Some 800 to 1,000 of them will be submitted for resettlement during the year. UNHCR will facilitate the voluntary return of 30 per cent of the Iranian refugees of Kurdish ethnicity in the country. This return operation will be carried out provided the individuals concerned continue to express a wish to return and conditions in the Islamic Republic of Iran permit. UNHCR will also advocate for the right to work for those refugees for whom local integration is a possibility.

Pending appropriate durable solutions, refugees will be provided with basic assistance such as food, water, and health and education services. UNHCR will assist the Government to register asylum-seekers and validate refugee registration records in close cooperation with the authorities. It will also conduct RSD for some 1,500 people. Training and public information campaigns will sensitize local people and the authorities to the protection needs of refugees. The Office will also advocate for Iraq's accession to international refugee instruments.

To raise awareness on statelessness in Iraq, in 2010 UNHCR will hold workshops on the subject with relevant national bodies and stakeholders. A study on statelessness will be undertaken to support advocacy and intervention strategies. The Office will seek to prevent statelessness by providing the necessary civil documents and legal assistance, where possible.

UNHCR facilitates the reintegration of returned refugees to ensure that their returns are sustainable. It continues to advocate for the implementation of national legislation which safeguards the rights of returnees, including the restitution of illegally occupied properties. In this regard, particular attention is paid to housing rights, access to land and personal documentation. In 2010, the Office will identify and monitor the needs of some 50,000 returnees with the help of the Protection and Assistance Centres and the Return, Integration and Community Centres. It will also provide training on returnee rights to some 600 lawyers and 50 Government officials.

UNHCR will provide basic shelter to 25,000 families and support the Government's allocation of land. Together with other agencies, the shelter rehabilitation programme will support the reintegration intitative that the Government leads, particularly in Baghdad and Diyala. Shelter assistance is combined with the rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, as this has been identified as crucial for the well-being of returnees. The assistance will include destitute IDP families who live in settlements and public buildings without external financial support. Some 150,000 people will receive essential non-food items and hygiene kits. Community-based co-existence programmes will also be implemented.

UNHCR will seek to bridge the gap between humanitarian aid and the longer-term development assistance provided by the Government, UN agencies, NGOs and bilateral agencies. It seeks to establish a referral mechanism so that identified livelihood needs can be referred to existing social services. It will also advocate for the inclusion of returnees in the Government's national development plans and the CCA/UNDAF (Common Country Assessment / United Nations Development Assistance Framework) process.

While some IDPs are returning to their places of origin, others continue to be displaced. Not all IDPs have access to official registration, the lack of which can leave them unaccounted for and in difficult circumstances. The Protection and Assistance Centres in all 18 governorates provide contact points for IDPs and will continue to monitor their situation.

The Office advocates for the rights of IDPs to be safeguarded through appropriate national legislation, especially for those who may be affected by evictions. In some cases, IDPs and returned IDPs need community-based projects to ensure a favourable protection environment. The Office provides legal counselling and personal documentation, as well as legal interventions through the Protection and Assistance Centres, for some 20,000 IDPs.

Constraints

The security situation may deteriorate again. Violence could affect people of concern and hamper UNHCR's access to them.

Organization and implementation

The precarious security situation requires UNHCR to increase investments in the security of staff, including the purchase of body armour and armoured vehicles, and the deployment of close-protection personnel. Those provisions will be implemented in accordance with UN security standards. Security concerns may limit UNHCR's mobility inside Iraq.

Returnees and local communities, as well as more than 80 national NGOs, will be involved in the implementation of UNHCR's programmes. The Office works with UNAMI and other UN agencies under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and through the UN Country Team. UNHCR chairs the protection team and co-chairs the shelter team under the Inter-Agency Standing Committee cluster approach.

In 2010, UNHCR continues to strengthen its strategic cooperation by leading all actors working with refugees in the development of a Regional Refugee Response Plan, which is a continuation of the process begun with the 2009 regional Consolidated Appeal.

Financial information

UNHCR is expanding its assistance to improve the environment for initial integration of those who chose to return, while assisting refugees and those who are displaced internally. In 2010, the comprehensive budget includes shelter, water and cash incentives, as well as increased engagement of local NGOs and the expansion of Return, Integration and Community Centres. In addition, the budget includes costs for Headquarters and regional support, resettlement, training and publications for advocacy and awareness raising, assistance to Iraqi refugees in Turkey and Iran, and provisions for unforeseen population movements. Pillar 1 includes initial reintegration activities for returned refugees, as well as assistance to refugees inside Iraq. Pillars 3 and 4 include reintegration needs of both returned IDPs and refugees. Security provisions for Iraq are also included, as are planned increases in staffing and offices inside Iraq.

2010 UNHCR budget for Iraq (USD)
RIGHTS GROUPS AND OBJECTIVES REFUGEE
PROG.

PILLAR 1
STATELESS
PROG.

PILLAR 2
REINTE-
GRATION
PROJECTS
PILLAR 3
IDP
PROJECTS

PILLAR 4
TOTAL
Total 87,704,282 1,033,161 31,088,775 144,459,007 264,285,225
Favourable protection environment
International and regional instruments 327,875 0 0 0 327,875
National administrative framework 522,160 0 0 289,734 811,894
Prevention of displacement 0 0 0 4,257,365 4,257,365
Prevention of statelessness 0 499,449 0 0 499,449
Cooperation with partners 10,704,933 0 0 3,880,506 14,585,439
National development policies 226,999 0 0 289,598 516,597
Subtotal 11,781,967 499,449 0 8,717,202 20,998,618
Fair protection processes and documentation
Registration and profiling 1,359,506 0 0 945,137 2,304,642
Fair and efficient status determination 307,423 0 0 0 307,423
Individual documentation 375,347 0 0 298,888 674,235
Civil status documentation 3,454,483 0 0 6,785,943 10,240,426
Subtotal 5,496,759 0 0 8,029,967 13,526,726
Security from violence and exploitation
Gender-based violence 597,038 0 0 453,328 1,050,367
Protection of children 173,306 0 0 0 173,306
Non-arbitrary detention 1,367,614 0 0 766,090 2,133,704
Access to legal remedies 781,111 0 0 517,805 1,298,916
Subtotal 2,919,070 0 0 1,737,223 4,656,292
Basic needs and essential services
Nutrition 1,685,190 0 0 0 1,685,190
Water 558,452 0 1,237,951 5,285,317 7,081,720
Shelter and other infrastructure 354,181 0 25,334,854 96,267,426 121,956,461
Basic domestic and hygiene items 12,990,295 0 0 7,418,725 20,409,021
Primary health care 1,683,074 0 0 0 1,683,074
Education 1,833,508 0 0 0 1,833,508
Sanitation services 513,452 0 1,276,826 5,265,651 7,055,929
Services for groups with specific needs 1,367,353 0 1,178,229 1,170,530 3,716,111
Subtotal 20,985,505 0 29,027,860 115,407,649 165,421,014
Community participation and self-management
Participatory assessment and community mobilization 210,839 0 315,016 486,753 1,012,608
Self-reliance and livelihoods 211,601 0 313,489 3,719,644 4,244,735
Subtotal 422,440 0 628,505 4,206,397 5,257,342
Durable solutions
Voluntary return 19,588,037 0 0 2,025,103 21,613,140
Rehabilitation and reintegration support 0 0 1,118,994 612,823 1,731,817
Resettlement 584,650 0 0 0 584,650
Local integration support 344,596 0 0 632,788 977,384
Subtotal 20,517,283 0 1,118,994 3,270,713 24,906,990
External relations
Donor relations 45,852 0 75,370 129,815 251,038
Resource mobilization 0 0 92,957 80,649 173,605
Public information 86,381 94,183 145,089 115,028 440,682
Subtotal 132,234 94,183 313,416 325,493 865,326
Logistics and operations support
Supply chain and logistics 2,340,501 0 0 1,453,777 3,794,278
Programme management, coordination and support 2,862,051 439,529 0 1,310,585 4,612,166
Subtotal 5,202,552 439,529 0 2,764,362 8,406,444
Headquarters and regional support
Central emergency preparedness and response capacity 20,246,472 0 0 0 20,246,472
Subtotal 20,246,472 0 0 0 20,246,472

Source: UNHCR Global Appeal 2010-2011

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Statistical Snapshot*
* As at January 2009
  1. Country or territory of asylum or residence. In the absence of Government estimates, UNHCR has estimated the refugee population in most industrialized countries based on 10 years of asylum-seekers recognition.
  2. Persons recognized as refugees under the 1951 UN Convention/1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention, in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, persons granted a complementary form of protection and those granted temporary protection. It also includes persons in a refugee-like situation whose status has not yet been verified.
  3. Persons whose application for asylum or refugee status is pending at any stage in the procedure.
  4. Refugees who have returned to their place of origin during the calendar year. Source: Country of origin and asylum.
  5. Persons who are displaced within their country and to whom UNHCR extends protection and/or assistance. It also includes persons who are in an IDP-like situation.
  6. IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR who have returned to their place of origin during the calendar year.
  7. Refers to persons who are not considered nationals by any country under the operation of its laws.
  8. Persons of concern to UNHCR not included in the previous columns but to whom UNHCR extends protection and/or assistance.
  9. The category of people in a refugee-like situation is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained.
The data are generally provided by Governments, based on their own definitions and methods of data collection.
A dash (-) indicates that the value is zero, not available or not applicable.

Source: UNHCR/Governments.
Compiled by: UNHCR, FICSS.
Residing in Iraq [1]
Refugees [2] 39,503
Asylum Seekers [3] 2,057
Returned Refugees [4] 25,644
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) [5] 2,647,251
Returned IDPs [6] 195,890
Stateless Persons [7] 230,000
Various [8] 0
Total Population of Concern 3,140,345
Originating from Iraq [1]
Refugees [2]
More info 1,903,519
Refugee figures for Iraqis in Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic are Government estimates.
Asylum Seekers [3] 25,675
Returned Refugees [4] 25,644
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) [5] 2,647,251
Returned IDPs [6] 195,890
Various [8] 0
Total Population of Concern 4,797,979
Government Contributions to UNHCR
2008 Contributions Breakdown
Total contribution in USD: 8,000,000 (rank: 20)
Total contribution in currency: -
Donor ranking per GDP: 5
Donor ranking per capita: 25
2008 Contributions chart
Contributions since 2000
YearUSD
2009 0
2008
More info 8,000,000
Total contribution in USD: 8,000,000 (rank: 20)
Total contribution in currency: -
Donor ranking per GDP: 5
Donor ranking per capita: 25
2007 0
2006 0
2005 0
2004 0
2003 0
2002 0
2001 0
2000 0

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2010-11 UNHCR partners in Iraq
Implementing partners
Government agencies: Ministry of Displacement and Migration
NGOs: ACDCS (Association for Cultural Development for Civil Society); CDO; DRC; FUAD; HARIKAR; IHLHR (Iraqi Humanitarian League for Human Rights); InterSOS; IRC; IRD; IRW (Islamic Relief Worldwide); IYL (Iraqi Youth League); KHRW (Kurdish Human Rights Watch); Mercy Corps; MRDS (Millennium Relief and Development Services); MSB; PAO (Public Aid Organization); Qandil; Rafha; Reach; RIRP; Uruk; WDSO (Women Development and Support Organization)
Others: UNOPS
Operational partners
Others: ICRC; IOM; OCHA; UNAMI; UNHABITAT; UNICEF; WFP; WHO

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