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Over 1 mln displaced Iraqis face tough future: UN

19 August 2013 23:05 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN mission in Iraq warned Monday that 1.1 million Iraqis internally displaced in the country are facing tough future as the country plunged into conflicts and political strife, APA reports quoting Xinhua

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Jacqueline Badcock, the UN deputy special envoy to Iraq, said in a statement that "the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are among Iraq's most vulnerable segments."

"In makeshift dwellings and temporary accommodation, they struggle to buy food and to access healthcare and education," Badcock said.

Waves of conflicts in the past decade have displaced families all over the country and pushed the country to have the second- highest number of IDPs in the Middle East after Syria.

"Often, they (IDPs) are not recognized by the authorities, so they cannot vote or own property. Women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence and literacy levels are shockingly low," Badcock said.

The spike of violence this year caused a new wave of displacement, particularly in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Badcock said citing figures from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Eventually, Badcock urged the Iraqi government and the humanitarian community to mobilize quickly to prevent further deterioration for those people.

"These are Iraqis, seeking refuge within the borders of their own country. They need protection and support to integrate into their new communities or to be returned to their homes. IDPs face an uncertain and difficult future, unless we redouble our efforts, " Badchock said.