Iraq’s Humanitarian Crisis in Numbers

Over 10 million people need some form of humanitarian assistance, nearly a third of the population. This is double the number in need in 2015.Up to 1.7 million people are estimated to live in areas outside Government control in northern and western Iraq; many are likely to be vulnerable. 

During the first nine months of 2016, 4,446 civilians were killed and 9,387 civilians injured by explosive weapons. In 2015, Iraq had the third highest civilian casualty rate from explosive weapons, behind Syria and Yemen. 

At least 7,515 civilians were killed and 14,855 civilians injured. In 2014, Iraq was the most deadly country in the world in terms of casualties from explosive weapons; 10,735 people were killed or injured by them. 

Over 8 million people need protection assistance. Over 8.5 million crisis-affected people require access to essential health services, Nearly 6.6 million people are in critical need of water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance and at least 2.4 million Iraqis need food assistance. 

Over 2 million school-age children are out of school – one in every five children. An estimated 600,000 children have missed over a year of school. 

Displacement 

Over 4 million Iraqis have been internally displaced by violence since January 2014. Of these, 3.3 million people are currently displaced. 

There have been at least four large displacement movements, and multiple smaller ones. From January to May 2014, half a million people were displaced in Anbar Governorate. 

In June and July 2014, nearly 700,000 people fled their homes from Mosul and the Ninewa plains. In August 2014, 800,000 people were displaced from various parts of the country, including Sinjar region. In April 2015, 500,000 people were displaced from Anbar. 

Over 400,000 people have been newly displaced in 2016, including 200,000 who have been displaced along the Anbar corridor from Ramadi, Heet, Rutbah and Fallujah. At least 130,000 people are displaced along the Mosul corridor. 

More than 75 per cent of all displaced – over 2.5 million people – have fled from just two governorates: Anbar and Ninewa. 1.5 million people – nearly half of all displaced – are hosted in three governorates: Anbar, Baghdad and Erbil. 

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq hosts over 960,000 displaced people, 29 per cent, of all displaced.Iraqi families have been generous; the vast majority of displaced Iraqis live in host communities.

Nearly 560,000 people, 17 per cent of all internally displaced persons, live in critical shelter situations including unfinished or abandoned buildings, informal settlements and schools. 

An estimated 474,000 people, 14 per cent of all internally displaced persons, live in camps.At least 970,000 people have returned to areas that have come under Government control. 

2016 Humanitarian Response Plan and Funding 

In July, the humanitarian community launched a flash appeal requesting US$284 million to prepare for the Mosul operation. Although generous contributions have been received, most of this funding has only just started to arrive. 

In early October, humanitarian agencies revised the flash appeal, calculating that $367 is required to finalize preparations and provide life-saving assistance during the first three months of the humanitarian operation. 

In addition to Mosul, humanitarian partners are also seeking funding for the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan. Launched in January, the Plan requests $861 million to support 7.3 million vulnerable Iraqis. To date, less than 60 percent has been received. The impact has been enormous. 

More than half of the programmes in the plan have either shut down or could not begin at all; tens more are scheduled to close in the weeks ahead unless funding is urgently received. 

This affects the ability of humanitarian partners to provide first line life-saving assistance – such as water, food, hygiene supplies and health services – to fleeing families.

Taken from the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs.

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