To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made so far by the International Humanitarian Partnership with establishing the proposed three camps, each to house 15,000 persons, for refugees who have fled from the fighting in Iraq; how that progress compares with the anticipated schedule; how many refugees are believed to be in need of shelter; which ethnic or religious groups are being assisted in those camps by the International Humanitarian Partnership; and what assessment they have made of what is likely to happen to those who are not provided for by those camps.
Answered on
20 October 2014
The International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) is building one camp in Shekhan which will provide shelter for up to 6,000 people. Camp construction is on schedule and should be ready to provide shelter by mid-November. The IHP was initially requested by UNHCR to build three of the sixteen camps that will provide shelter to those who have been displaced by the conflict in Northern Iraq. This proposal has now changed and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has taken charge of building the two other camps.
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) has received 860,000 displaced persons in successive waves. Of these, it is estimated that approximately 390,000 are in need of shelter. Of the £23 million that DFID has provided in response to the crisis, £17.5 million is funding United Nations (UN) agencies and NGO (Non-Government Organisation) partners to provide shelter, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and protection services. We continue to respond to the crisis on the basis of needs although we recognise that many of those who are receiving assistance belong to religious or ethnic religious groups that have fled persecution.
The UN is working on a revised Strategic Response Plan (SRP) which will provide an assessment of the overall needs of refugees and IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). This SRP will include the shelter requirements for displaced persons up to December 2015. Our Advisors on the ground are working closely with aid agencies, the UN and the KRG to ensure that there is both an accurate assessment of need and an effective plan for meeting it.