ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is set to close two camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Erbil province and merge an additional three camps, a ministry official told Rudaw on Wednesday, amid efforts by Baghdad to close camps across the country.
Ali Abbas, spokesperson for Iraq’s migration and displacement ministry, said Baharka and Harsham camps - which opened on the outskirts of Erbil city in 2014 during the onset of the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) - will be closed soon.
“The closure of the camps will be in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG),” Abbas said.
About 90 families remain in Baharka camp, while only six remain in Harsham.
The Iraqi government has increased efforts to close IDP camps across the country and support returnees. Baghdad offered 4 million Iraqi dinars (about $3,050), a fridge, a stove, and a television to families who returned to their homes by July 30; however, many camps still remain open.
Despite the incentives, many families are reluctant to leave because of continued violence in their homelands, a lack of reconstruction following the destruction of their houses, and little in the way of basic services. Some who voluntarily left the camps have been forced to return, unable to piece together the basics.
Abbas also said that the Khazir 1, 2, and 3 camps between Erbil and Mosul will be merged into one camp to provide better services.
Many of the camps in the Kurdistan Region suffer from a lack of funds, as the humanitarian focus has shifted from emergency response to development and stabilization.
Human rights advocates have expressed concern about Iraq’s push to close the camps, stressing that all returns must be safe, voluntary, and dignified.
In early October, Abbas told Rudaw that nearly 21,000 IDPs remain in the Kurdistan Region’s camps, 18,000 in Erbil and the remainder in Duhok. All IDP camps have been closed in Sulaimani province.
Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
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