ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Iraqi government will soon close the last two IDP camps in Iraq, the government said on Monday, ending a wave of camp closures that has drawn criticism from human rights groups.
“The Iraqi government is preparing, in cooperation with the relevant international organisations and in coordination with local authorities in Iraq, to close down the remaining camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Iraq,” read a government statement.
According to the ministry, only two IDP camps remain open in federal Iraq - in Nineveh and Anbar - with Minister Evan Faeq Jabro saying there are plans to close them in a "short period" of time.
“The closure plans consist of providing essential public services and infrastructure rehabilitation, including rebuilding destroyed homes and constructing low-cost housing units to create the appropriate conditions for the voluntary return of IDPs to their areas of origin,” the statement added.
The Iraqi government is on a push to shut down camps across the country, a move that has attracted criticism from rights groups, including Amnesty International.
Many IDPs are reluctant to return home because of continuing violence in their home areas, a lack of reconstruction following the destruction of their homes, and little in the way of basic services. Some who voluntarily left the camps to salvage their homes and livelihoods have been forced to return to the camps, unable to piece together the basics.
“The Ministry of Migration and Displaced confirmed in a statement that coordination is underway with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Iraq to rebuild destroyed homes and construct low-cost housing units for IDPs who are unable to return,” the ministry added on Monday.
Kurdish officials have previously stated the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has “no intention whatsoever” of closing down displacement camps under its control in the near future, despite the federal government announcing the closures of camps in the Region.
