Approximately 1.8 million people are estimated to be internally displaced persons in Iraq, equating to 18 percent of the Iraqis who live in conflict-affected areas, and more than 5 percent of the overall population.
According to an assessment carried out in 2018 by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), 22% of the internally displaced persons in camps cite explosive hazards as a main reason for not intending to return to their areas of origin, rising up to 52% in some governorates.
In addition, 12% of out-of-camp internally displaced persons cite the same.
UNMAS Iraq, working in tandem with its implementing partners, continues to maintain a weighted presence in Iraq, especially in the areas liberated from the Islamic State (IS).
Through strategic partnerships and engagement of both internal and external stakeholders, UNMAS has so far cleared over 1,100 sites of critical infrastructure. These include bridges, water plants, power plants, hospitals, schools, etc. that were once the strongholds of IS and which were littered with explosive hazards after their defeat.
SOURCE: Iraqi News
