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On 10 October 10, 2018, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) together with the United Nations and its partners held a high-level coordination meeting to discuss the mid-year 2018 HRP review and 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview and Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience for the displaced families in the Kurdistan Region and return of IDPs.
The meeting focused on the current capacity in terms of recovery and resilience programs by the UN agencies and the Iraqi Federal Government as well as the coordination challenges in providing support to the IDPs, refugees and the host community. All the aspects of the response, ways and mechanisms discussed in detail to ensure well-coordinated efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced people and new arrivals in the Kurdistan Region.
H.E. Karim Sinjari, the Minister of Interior, stated that the KRG would continue providing assistance to the IDPs and refugees in the Region until their voluntary and dignified return is achieved, adding that the Region is witnessing arrival of new IDPs in the liberated areas where 15,000 IDPs have come to the Region since January 2018, creating new challenges for the KRG and the host communities at the same time.
Minister Sinjari added that lack of funding for providing humanitarian assistance, particularly health and food, to IDPs and refugees is a serious concern warning that suspension of such assistance would lead to a humanitarian tragedy.
Minister Sinjari reiterated KRG’s commitment to help the IDPs and refugees in terms of services and protection yet the KRG’s capacity are very limited therefore the assistance and cooperation of the UN agencies are needed.
Ministers of Health and Planning talked about the gaps and needs and highlighted the priorities for 2019 in the Kurdistan Region to support the IDPs and refugees and urged the UN agencies to make more efforts to address the gaps through their funding and work also with the Federal Government to have more engagement in addressing the challenges and filling the gaps left out by the lack of fund from donors to the UN agencies.
The governors of Erbil and Duhok and deputy governor of Slemani highlighted the issues and challenges facing the IDPs and refugees in the respected governorates stressing on coordinated, sustainable and clear long-term plan to address the challenges.
Then, the humanitarian coordinator briefed the participants about the ongoing UN efforts to help the IDPs and displaced people and highlighted the achievements of the HRP, RRP and ICRRP and the gaps that the UN Agencies facing regarding funding. She reiterated the commitment of the UN Agencies to work with the KRG and government partners to help the displaced people and the return process of the IDPs. Then, several presentations presented by the UN Agencies about the current developments, humanitarian issues, services and funding issues.
The Kurdistan Regional Government and the Humanitarian Community will continue to coordinate humanitarian assistance to continue responding to the needs and challenges faced by displaced people and returnees across the region.
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