DIYALA PREPARES FOR POTENTIAL HUMANITARIAN ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002403 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2018 TAGS: POL PREL ECON PTER MOPS EAID PINS PINR IZ SUBJECT: DIYALA PREPARES FOR POTENTIAL HUMANITARIAN ISSUES ARISING FROM SECURITY OPERATIONS Classified By: PRT Team Leader George White for reasons 1.4. (b) and (d ). ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Diyala reporting cable. ¶2. (C) Summary: The Provincial Council committee in charge of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is working with the Director General for Migration to prepare for any potential humanitarian crises created by the current Iraqi-led security operation in Diyala province. The Assistant Governor for Economics has proposed the creation of a crisis quick response cell to disperse items such as food, tents, blankets and medical supplies to any individuals displaced as a result of security operations, if such need materializes. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Assistant Governor for Economics Emad Jaleel Abdullah requested Diyala Governor Ra'ad Rasheed Hameed Al Tamimi establish a crisis quick response cell in the provincial capital Baqubah to handle a possible spike in Internally Displaced Persons during to the Iraqi-led security operation currently underway in Diyala province. Emad says he secured provisional assistance for 2,000 families from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),and identified a warehouse to store the items. ¶3. (C) Director General (DG) for Migration Mohammed Bajellan told us he applauds the Assistant Governor for his success with UNHCR, and indicated this was the first time the organization had worked directly with provincial leaders and not through the GOI. He explained that to be eligible for assistance, families must have not received previous assistance. Rations for the selected 2,000 will be divided by Qada (District) for distribution. The Assistant Governor also requested that the Ministry of Trade supply three months worth of Public Distribution System (PDS) rations for those people currently registered as IDPs. ¶4. (C) DG Mohammed told us that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between newly displaced families and existing IDPs who have not registered. He said there are 26,765 registered families in Diyala province, but believed that number is only about one-third of the actual displaced. He said there are many factors that contributed to IDPs' failure to register, but the main problem is that there is only one registration office for the entire province located in Baqubah. Mohammed advocated opening offices in the four Qadas to allow greater access for displaced families to register. ¶5. (C) According to Mohammed, Diyala is the only province still registering IDPs. He said other provinces have already started to develop solutions to the IDP problem: facilitating IDP returns and their becoming self-reliant. If only one-third of estimated IDPs are currently registered, it will be difficult to determine whether newly registered individuals were displaced due to the ongoing security operation or the lack of previous access to the IDP registration office. ¶6. (C) Comment: With more than an estimated 75,000 displaced families in Diyala and emergency rations available for only 2,000 families, it is evident that more will need to be done to reduce potential humanitarian crises in the province. The PRT is working with the Provincial Council committee for IDPs and the Assistant Governor for Economics to identify other avenues of relief support. It is also coordinating with DG representatives from the Ministries of Water Resources, Trade, Migration, Health and Education to establish a working plan to assist with any new IDPs as well as the current IDP population in the province. End Comment. CROCKER