Key messages
The humanitarian situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate. As a result of military operations in Fallujah and Northern provinces of Ninewa and Salah al Din in May and June 2016, over 150 000 people have been displaced. According to the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Iraq accelerated military operations in the Mosul corridor could increase the number of displaced in country by two additional million. Since January 2014, 3.4 million Iraqis have been internally displaced.
Responding to growing humanitarian needs in 2016, the European Commission announced €104.1 million in humanitarian aid funding. This amount brings the overall budget for humanitarian aid to nearly 212 million, since 2015 alone.
The European Commission is at the forefront of the humanitarian response. In Falujah, EU funded humanitarian organisations provide shelter, water and sanitation and emergency health care to around 80 000 people.
With the conflict escalating, ensuring that civilians are protected during and after the conduct of hostilities is the main challenge.
The European Union calls on all parties to the conflict to protect civilian, during and after hostilities, by fully respecting International Humanitarian Law. This includes the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants, facilitating access of fleeing civilians to safer ground and ensuring humane treatment and protection upon reception.
Humanitarian situation and needs
In 2016 due to the intensification of conflict and widespread violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), during and after the hostilities, governorate towards Mosul, continues to generate new displacement waves.
In Anbar governorate the Government of Iraq announced their complete control over Fallujah by the end of June. By the end of the operation, close to 100 000 individuals were displaced to surrounding IDP camps.
The safe evacuation of civilians from active conflict zones should be a priority and humanitarian considerations taken into account in military planning. Securing the humane treatment and protection of civilians during security screening processes is a priority. According to UNHCR by June over 25 000 individuals have been displaced by military operations in Shirqat district, northern Salah al Din. This ads to the 30 000 individuals, who were already displaced since March from operations south of Ninewa, mostly towards Makhmour district. Similar protection concerns continue to emerge.
The emergency response is already overstretched. Camps are severely overcrowded, thousands of families are forced to share tents, sleep outside or try to find any kind of shelter from the sun, as summer temperatures soar above 50 degrees Celsius. Drinking water is in dangerously short supply.
Sanitation facilities are also in low supply; the small number of latrines are unable to meet the needs of the thousands of new displaced, with some locations having over 1000 individuals per latrine. There is a critical need for displaced families to undergo nutritional assessments and receive immunizations, having faced severe food shortages and not received routine vaccinations for the past two years.
Increasing humanitarian food assistance for the newly displaced population has become ever more pressing. IDP families also need safe and culturally appropriate facilities, in order to cook the food assistance that they receive, i.e. properly equipped communal kitchens.
The escalation of the conflict is shrinking civilians' protection space in the country, with limited access of affected populations to safety, basic services or lifesaving assistance. Humanitarian access and providing effective protection to civilians affected by the conflict are extremely challenging. There are serious protection concerns regarding the treatment of civilians displaced as a result of the ongoing military operations.