ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) north of Erbil city has been emptied as all residents have returned to their hometowns, the migration and displaced ministry said on Thursday.
“A number of camps will be closed soon and some will be merged. Harsham camp in Erbil has now been emptied and it will officially be announced soon,” ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas told Rudaw.
The camp opened on the outskirts of Erbil city in 2014 during the onset of the war against the Islamic State (ISIS).
Abbas also said that 13,000 IDP families returned to their hometowns in 2024.
Many of the camps in the Kurdistan Region suffer from a lack of funds, as the humanitarian focus has shifted from emergency response to development and stabilization.
Human rights advocates have expressed concern about Iraq’s push to close the camps, stressing that all returns must be safe, voluntary, and dignified.
The Iraqi government has increased efforts to close IDP camps across the country and support returnees. Baghdad is offering cash and household appliances to families who return home.
Despite the incentives, many families are reluctant to leave because of continued violence in their homelands, a lack of reconstruction following the destruction of their houses, and little in the way of basic services. Some who voluntarily left the camps have been forced to return, unable to piece together the basics.
Last month, Abbas told Rudaw that the IDP return process has slowed down due to the winter season and their children being in school.
Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
