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Despite promises, displaced Iraqis linger in limbo

Iraq's prime minister has prioritized helping the displaced, but efforts to restore them to their homes are still hindered by political disagreements, a lack of funds and the absence of infrastructure and services.
Displaced Iraqi women walk in a camp for internally displaced people near al-Khalidiyeh in Iraq's western Anbar province on April 24, 2018. - While the election campaign is in full swing elsewhere in Iraq, the country's displaced camps barely register on the radars of those running for office, despite housing hundreds of thousands of people. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)        (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iraqi Minister of Immigration and Displacement Evan Faek Jabro announced on July 8 that her ministry will resume returning displaced people from Turkey's Akda camp to Iraq. The returning operation had been stopped after the COVID-19 lockdown. However, it is unlikely that they return in the near future due to the ongoing pandemic challenges and economic crisis, not to mention the security decline.

The ministry is also addressing the issue of internally displaced people (IDPs). Faek announced on Jun 24 the closure of 20 camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Anbar province. Most of these refugees had returned to their home districts after spending nearly six years in camps. Jabro said 1,706 IDP families remain in the province.

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