Ministry: 320 families repatriated in Anbar, Salahuddin
A photo shows a homeless Iraqi family with grief and uncertainty appearing clearly in their eyes. File photo
Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) – About 320 families have been repatriated at their home regions in Anbar and Salahuddin provinces upon their own desire, the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced on Thursday.
In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Iraqi news network Mawazin News, the ministry said its teams, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration, have repatriated 242 families in Anbar and another 78 families in Salahuddin.
“All the repatriated families have been provided with dry food and a security force was assigned to accompany them during their journey back home,” the statement added.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State militants in December, ending months of military operations to retake areas occupied by the group since 2014. Anbar’s Rawa was the last IS bastion recaptured by Iraqi forces.
Despite the victory over IS in Iraq, observers say the militant group is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.