UN 'concerned' about hasty closure of IDP camp in Nineveh

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations on Wednesday criticised the recent closure of a camp in Nineveh province, populated by people with alleged affiliation to the Islamic State (ISIS), for lack of adequate notice, calling on Baghdad to ensure the safety of the families.  

The Iraqi government on Tuesday shut down al-Jada 5 camp in Nineveh province where hundreds of families with alleged ISIS ties lived, giving them a 48-hour notice. This angered many residents, and aid workers told the Associated Press that they were locked out of the camp by the security forces.   

“The Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq calls on the Government of Iraq to ensure the safety and well-being of the 342 families who had to depart from the Jeddah 5 IDP camp in Ninewa Governorate following its closure,” said the UN in a statement. 

“The humanitarian community is concerned by the impact of the closure of the camp on 18 April by the Government of Iraq, without adequate notification and preparation for the IDPs and the receiving communities,” it added.

The camp housed 342 families of 1,566 people “with almost two third are children,” according to the UN. 

Late last month, the government said in a letter to the UN that they would close the camp after two months. 

As of Tuesday afternoon most of the families had left the camp, according to AP. 

Al-Jada is one of just two camps still open in areas under federal Iraqi control. Refugee and IDP camps based in the Kurdistan Region remain open. 

Many of the residents of al-Jada camp are repatriated from northeast Syria (Rojava).