UN reports increased tension between Kurds and internally displaced Iraqis

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Increased tension between Kurdish communities who are hosting large numbers of displaced Arab Iraqis who fled Islamic State violence could lead to their expulsion, the United Nations warned in its latest crisis situation report released on Sunday.

Kurdish security forces are meanwhile barring the entry of internally displaced people (IDPs) to the towns of Khaneqin and Kalar in Diyala governorate, said the report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) covering the first week of November.

Ordinary Kurds have been largely welcoming and sympathetic to the almost 900,000 Iraqi IDPs—half of the total in the country—as well as 215,000 Syrian refugees now in the Kurdish region.

But tensions have surfaced as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) struggles with a severe budget crunch while fighting ISIS on several fronts.

The KRG clamped down on anti-Arab demonstrations in Erbil by Kurdish protestors in early August, at a time when ISIS was threatening the city. But anti-Arab sentiment continues to rise amid tight controls imposed by the Kurdish Asayish security service trying to prevent possible attacks by ISIS sympathisers.

“Tensions between the host and displaced communities in Sulaymaniyah governorate continue to raise protection concerns, including the potential for expulsions of IDPs from host communities” the report said.

To help defuse tensions, OCHA was preparing a Communication with Communities plan in Dohuk to help IDPs access information and communicate their concerns.

In Diyala governorate, in areas disputed by Erbil and Baghdad and where ISIS have been fighting Iraqi government forces recently, OCHA received reports of Kurdish security forces denying entry to IDPs.

“OCHA has also received reports that 100 IDP families arrived in Kifri after they were prevented from entering Kalar and Khaneqin,” the report said. “This is in addition to the arrival in recent weeks of 1,600 IDP displaced families from Khaneqin District to Kifri.”

The UN said last week it was looking for private Kurdish donors for its programme to prepare 1.26 million Iraqis for winter, as it is still $173 million short of what it needs for shelter and basic items, such as blankets and fuel for cooking and heating.

There is particular concern about the “food security of hundreds of thousands of people, especially those residing in active conflict zones,” the report said. Some 2.8 million people are in need of food assistance and immediate funds of $70.2 million are required to prevent an end to food aid in January.

Preparations are under way in Dohuk governorate for the relocation of an estimated 26,000 IDPs from temporary refuge in 104 secondary schools in the coming weeks.

But the priority of the Kurdish authorities to relocate the IDPs was making it difficult to “mobilise their leadership to engage in the urgent interventions necessary to prepare for winter conditions for those living in informal settlements,” such as unfinished buildings, abandoned buildings and open sites, OCHA said.

“The [Kurdistan] government continues to face challenges identifying and training staff to manage camps,” it said. “Substantial support is required to ensure the co-ordination of assistance, services and communication with communities.”

UN reports increased tension between Kurds and internally displaced Iraqis

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