Iraqi officials meet to discuss IDP issues

07/27/2020 Iraq (International Christian Concern) – On July 26^th, the Iraqi Minister of Immigrants and IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), Chaldean Christian Evan Faeq Yakoub Jabro, met with the President of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Nechirvan Idris Barzani, to discuss the condition of Christian and Yazidi refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan.

During the meeting, the officials discussed the effectiveness of coronavirus safety measures on the Christian and Yazidi populations, as well as the projects meant to return the displaced to their homes in Nineveh. Jabro and Barzani mentioned the possibility of compensation as a way of encouraging the refugees to return to their homes, which many fled during the 2014 ISIS attacks.

The situation in Nineveh, particularly in Mosul, remains tense following the occupation of ISIS. As a disputed territory, conflicting militias constantly jostle for control, namely the PMF Shiite militias and the Kurdish Peshmerga. While the presence of these militias deter ISIS from re-establishing itself as before, the terrorists do remain in the area and the militias cause a new set of security problems. This, combined with a lack of employment opportunities and restored infrastructure, often deter displaced persons from returning home.