Iraq’s Kirkuk says 70% of refugees returned, preparing to close camps
Iraqi refugees (representational photo).
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Seventy percent of displaced Iraqis at Kirkuk province have returned to their home regions in the province, the migration ministry’s office there said Tuesday.
The ministry’s office chief in Kirkuk, Karmoun Ammar, told Alghad Press website that, since 2014, Kirkuk received 117 refugees from Nineveh, Anbar and Salahuddin, besides internal refugees.
He said “70% percent have returned to their regions” in the province.
Iraq’s war against Islamic State militants, who occupied large parts of the country in 2014 to proclaim an Islamic “caliphate”, has displaced nearly five million people, according to United Nations figures. Those were both displaced internally or forced to flee to refugee camps abroad. Iraqi officials say nearly half of the total number of displaced people have yet to return home.
Refugees have reportedly endured difficult living conditions inside camps due to food and medicine shortages, as well as bad weather conditions.
Iraq declared final victory over the militant group last month, currently working to clear remnant cells at liberated areas. The country hopes to collect USD100 billion during a donors conference in Kuwait slated for mid next month in order to make up for the damage to communities and infrastructure caused by the war.