Two months into Mosul operations, which began on 17 October, more than 99,300 Iraqis are currently displaced. Over 53,700 are from the central Mosul sub-district of Merkaz Mosul.
Displacement continues with a net increase of over 5,800 individuals over the last three days (since 13/12.) Cumulatively, more than 106,400 individuals have been displaced by Mosul operations since 17 October; more than 9,500 of those who were displaced have returned to their places of origin.
“We risked our lives to get out of ISIL territory. In order to make the escape easier we brought only clothes – we couldn’t bring anything else because we had to walk 24 kilometers in the cold at night. Our family members who could not make the trip are still in Mosul,” said Abu Shayma, who arrived with over 300 other families in Hassan Sham camp two days ago. He spoke with IOM staff at a distribution of non-food item kits for the families on 15 December.
To assist Iraqis displaced by Mosul operations, IOM is providing critical humanitarian aid, including shelter, winter emergency household items, health and psychosocial services for more than 240,000 people in newly retaken areas, as well as for those in camps and emergency sites.
More than 22,000 family non-food item kits, including blankets, heaters and mattresses, have been distributed to assist over 130,000 individuals affected by Mosul operations since 16 June. More than 77,000 primary health care consultations have been provided in the districts of Ninewa, Erbil, Salah al-Din and Kirkuk.
The Emergency Site at Al-Qayara Airstrip, established by IOM in cooperation with the Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoMD), is now hosting more than 10,900 individuals. They are from Mosul and Hatra districts in Ninewa governorate, Hawija district (Kirkuk governorate) and Shirqat (Salah al-Din governorate). IOM staff are rapidly setting up additional tents, delivering non-food item kits, and providing psychosocial services and health services, in cooperation with the Ninewa Department of Health. The camp is managed by humanitarian partners.
The majority of those recently displaced by Mosul operations (84 percent; 83,400 individuals) are currently living in formal camps or emergency sites; 14 percent (13,400 individuals) are in private settings (rented houses, hotels, with host families); 2 percent (1,800 individuals) are in critical shelter arrangements (informal settlements, religious buildings, schools, abandoned buildings); and less than 1 percent (460 individuals) are passing through screening sites. Between 8 and 15 December, the overall population in camps and emergency sites grew by 18 percent (14,700 individuals).
IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “As the number of individuals displaced by Mosul operations continues to increase, our humanitarian efforts must also expand. With the support of our donors, humanitarian partners and Government of Iraq, IOM is providing shelter and household items to help the displaced to stay warm in the cold winter weather and rain. We need to continue to increase the scale of our humanitarian efforts to provide the life-saving humanitarian assistance desperately needed.”
