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Kurdistan Regional Government
Representation in the United States
Washington D.C.
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Welcome to our July 2020 Humanitarian Bulletin
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Khalsa Aid International, a UK-based humanitarian relief charity, providing food packs and hygiene kits to 3,350 families in Duhok province throughout July 2020
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Since the beginning of Turkey's military ground and air offensive into the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) at the end of June, five civilians have been killed, and dozens of villages have been vacated, including ten Assyrian Christian villages. Moreover, the offensive has disrupted the return of Yazidis to Sinjar and endangered the Kurdish refugees from Turkey as the Turkish military has targeted not only PKK fighters along the border but also the Yazidi district of Sinjar and the Makhmour refugee camp near Kirkuk, which is home to Kurdish refugees from Turkey.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Kurdistan Region has grown exponentially. There are more than 10,144 confirmed cases across Erbil, Slemani, Duhok, and Halabja governorates, of which 5,482 have recovered and 370 have died. Consequently, on July 13, the KRG issued new stricter measures to contain the pandemic. Masks, gloves, and restrictions on group gatherings in public places and government offices will be mandatory; travel ban between cities and provinces will continue, and most public places will remain closed. Flights will remain suspended until July 22.
The pandemic and the deep economic recession have caused hardship to the local population and displaced people inside the Kurdistan Region as well as the disputed areas and the rest of Iraq. Based on a newly released assessment by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, as a result of the socio-economic impact of COVID19, 4.5 million people or 11.7 percent of Iraq's population risk falling below the poverty line. It increased the poverty rate to 31.7 percent from 20 percent in 2018, and the total number of impoverished to 11.4 million people, with children and adolescents facing the highest increase in poverty.
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HIGHLIGHTS
COVID-19 in Kurdistan:
Total cases tested: 165,019+
Total Positive cases: 10,144
Total Recovered: 5,482
Total deaths: 370
Total active cases: 4,262
Source: KRG Coronavirus Dashboard
More than 1,008,878 refugees and IDPs are registered in the Kurdistan Region.
More than 172,000 people in need were directly affected be camp access restrictions during the month.
Only two percent of in-camp IDPs anticipated returning to their places of origin within the 12 months following data collection.
About 63 percent of IDP households reported food as their top priority, followed by 61 percent citing access to employment, and 52 percent access to healthcare.
More than half of the displaced people are women and children.
Source KRG-JCC, OCHA, REACH
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There are 38 IDP and Refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region. Twenty-two are in Duhok, 10 in Erbil, and 6 in Slemani province.
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The cost to provide essential services to the displaced people in Kurdistan is about $982 million per year, 81 million per month, and 2.7 million per day. The KRG shoulders about 70% of the costs.
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Source: KRG Coronavirus Dashboard & Joint Crisis Coordination Center
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According to the United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) June 2020 Humanitarian Access Snapshot, humanitarian organizations reported 68 access incidents across Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. About 90 percent of the occurrences constituted administrative restrictions, mostly COVID-19 containment measures. However, the ongoing military operations and hostilities constituted 7 percent of the incidents, impeding humanitarian operations. As a result, more than 172,000 people in need were directly affected during the month.
According to the February and March 2020 report by REACH, an organization that provides data and analysis on humanitarian situations, only 2 percent of in-camp internally displaced persons (IDPs) anticipated returning to their places of origin within the 12 months following data collection. Further, 63 percent of IDP households reported food as their top priority, followed by 61 percent citing access to employment, and 52 percent access to healthcare.
The Kurdistan Regional Government is grateful and expresses its sincere gratitude to the United States, all of the countries, UN agencies, and international and local NGOs for their financial support and dedication to alleviating the suffering of the vulnerable people in the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq. Nevertheless, the cost of providing essential services to the displaced people, coupled with the current economic crisis, has constrained the KRG's ability to meet the needs of nearly 1.1 million IDPs and refugees. The KRG has been funding about 70% of the $1 billion in annual cost to provide essential services to the displaced communities. The KRG calls on the United States and the international community to help during this crisis and to assist us in maintaining the well-being, security and stability of the displaced.
To learn more about the humanitarian situation or how you can help support vulnerable communities in Kurdistan, please contact the Director of Public and Humanitarian Affairs at the US Representation.
Delovan Barwari
Director of Public and Humanitarian Affairs
Twitter:
@DelovanBarwari
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