Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, visited Iraq from 15 to 23 February 2020.

Since the displacement of some 6 million people between 2014 and 2017 as a result of the conflict against the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Iraq has faced challenges in supporting the humanitarian needs and achieving durable solutions for the 1.4 million who remain in displacement, and in addressing the difficulties encountered by those who returned to their places of origin. The Special Rapporteur raises concerns about their acute assistance needs and the obstacles to their access to civil documentation and services, the access constraints faced by humanitarian actors operating in Iraq, and the recent camp closures and consolidations leading to forced returns and secondary displacement. The Special Rapporteur also addresses the situation of displaced ethnic and religious minorities, displaced families with a perceived affiliation to ISIL, and displaced children, and the reports of sexual and gender-based violence against internally displaced persons.

The Special Rapporteur commends the Government of Iraq for having taken a number of measures to address internal displacement, with the support of the international community. The Government must continue to provide humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons and returnees in need, and scale up development and stabilization efforts. To support durable solutions, enhanced and cohesive measures to promote social cohesion, reconciliation, justice and reparation, with the participation of internally displaced persons, are essential at the national and local levels.