Duhok Migration Department pledges continued support for displaced amid limited aid

Shafaq News/ The Duhok Department of Migration, Displacement, and Crisis Response announced on Wednesday its ongoing support for displaced persons and refugees in the governorate despite the limited assistance from international organizations in the Kurdistan region.

Diyan Jafar, the department's head, told Shafaq News Agency that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spends approximately 1.83 billion Iraqi dinars annually on managing camps, imposing a significant burden on the government.

"These funds are allocated to five critical sectors: health, education, water, electricity, and waste removal within the camps," Jafar explained.

He emphasized that the camps will remain open, underlining the KRG's clear policy of supporting displaced persons and refugees and ensuring their freedom to stay in the camps.

Jafar noted that recent statements by Iraqi officials regarding the closure of camps in the Kurdistan region by July 30, 2024, have negatively impacted international aid, particularly from the United Nations.

He stressed that international organizations, led by the United Nations, will continue to operate in the Kurdistan region and support the displaced and refugees living in the camps, although this support will be limited.

Notably, Duhok hosts more than 60,000 displaced persons and refugees across 15 displaced persons camps and five refugee camps, with a small number living outside the camps.