UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

countries. While a good part of the displacement took place before 2003, increasing
numbers of Iraqis are now fleeing escalating sectarian and political violence. In 2006 alone,
Nearly 640,000 Iraqis are estimated to have fled within Governorates or to other areas
inside the country, and between 40,000 and 50,000 continue to flee their homes every
month. UNHCR’s planning figures under its latest appeal are for up to 2.3 million
internally displaced people within Iraq by the end of 2007. 23
The violence inflicted upon ordinary Iraqis often has sectarian underpinnings, since militant
elements of religious and ethnic groups target individuals (e.g., religious figures,
politicians, tribal leaders) as well as the civilian population of other groups at large.
Violence is perpetrated by both state and non-state actors. Both the MNF and the ISF have
been accused of inflicting torture and inhuman and degrading treatment upon individuals
whom they have arrested and detained. Shi’ite-dominated militias and parts of the ISF,
particularly the Ministry of Interior, also are accused of committing serious violations of
human rights, including kidnappings and unlawful arrests, torture and extra-judicial
killings, against individuals perceived to be supporters of Sunni-dominated insurgency
groups. 24 The insurgency groups have also been involved in the kidnapping, torture and
extra-judicial killings of civilians. 25
The lack of an effectively functioning law enforcement system 26 and the weak judiciary 27
generally prevent victims from receiving effective protection from, or remedy for, human
rights abuses. 28 While the security situation in the three Northern Governorates is relatively
calm and stable compared to Central and Southern Iraq, it nevertheless remains tense and
unpredictable. There is the dispute over the status of arabized areas, mainly Kirkuk, 29
possible spill-over of violence from other parts of the country, the presence of both homegrown
Islamist militant groups and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the
population’s growing dissatisfaction with alleged corruption and human rights abuses. 30
23
UNHCR, UNHCR launches new appeal for Iraq operations, Press Release, 8 January 2007, available at
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/45a243a54.html.
24
See “Iraqi Security Forces and Shi’ite militias” and “Sunni Arabs”.
25
See “Insurgent Groups”.
26
UNAMI HRO stated that “(L)aw enforcement agencies are insufficient, inadequately equipped and in
need of further training”; see UNAMI HRO, Human Rights Report, 1 July – 31 August 2006, p. 1,
http://www.uniraq.org/documents/HR Report July August 2006 EN.pdf (further: “UNAMI HRO, August
2006 Human Rights Report”).
27
UNAMI HRO reported that the Iraqi judiciary’s capacity is limited, “particularly in cases involving
organized crime, corruption, terrorism and militia-sponsored armed activities […] due to the high level of
intimidation and threats, limited protection mechanisms for both witnesses and judiciary, as well as limited
number of investigative judges”; see UNAMI HRO, Human Rights Report, 1 May – 30 June 2006, p. 5,
http://www.uniraq.org/documents/HR Report May Jun 2006 EN.pdf (further: “UNAMI HRO, June 2006
Human Rights Report”).
28
US Department of State (USDOS), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, International
Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, 15 September 2006, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/
71422.htm.
29 428F,
See also “Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen Ethnic-Based Christian Groups (Assyrians, Chaldeans,
Armenians) 429F, Yazidis 430F and Shabak 431F in Ethnically Mixed Areas”.
30
See also “IFA/IRA in the Three Northern Governorates of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Dahuk”.
26