REACH’s mapping support to site planning for IDP camps, Iraq

The COP27 climate summit kicked off this week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. As parties to the climate change treaty gather to review annual progress on reducing carbon emissions, one key issue at the forefront for many activists is the impact the climate crisis is having on poorer countries. These nations bear the brunt of erratic […]

Access all the ongoing research and activities that IMPACT and REACH are launching in order to help the humanitarian community respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in crisis-affected countries. Regular updates, key findings and contact information.

Living conditions of displaced families in hosting sites is a key priority for the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster team, led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and its partners, including REACH. In order to do so, the Cluster has been working extensively to provide mapping on the state of services and gaps across sites hosting IDPs to allow for a targeted response based on the needs and vulnerabilities of IDP communities as reported by them directly.

Displacement associated with disasters and the effects of climate change is one of today’s most serious humanitarian and development issue. In the first half of 2020 alone, disasters triggered 9.8 million new displacements, and most were linked to weather-related hazards such as storms, floods and droughts. In northwest Syria, extreme flooding events are devastating families already reeling from ten years of violence conflict, displacement, economic ruin, and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since Iraq is considered an extremely water stressed country, achieving the crucial mandate of water for all will be a challenge. However, up-to-date data that aims to shed light on all the facets of this crisis can provide actors with an evidence-based shared understanding from which to tackle this vital task effectively.

In late 2019, a destructive flood event that occurred in the months of October and November in the Central African Republic (CAR) occasioned the displacement of over 100,000 individuals and causing considerable damage. Through remote-sensing, REACH conducted a flood susceptibility analysis to classify areas within CAR that are more likely to flood, in an effort to inform enhanced preparedness.

Following the de-escalation of active military operations in Iraq, the fighting has stabilised. The government has been encouraging IDPs to return to their area of origin, with camps progressively closing since June 2019. In spite of this recommendation, the vast majority of IDP households living in camps reported having no intention of returning to their area of origin.

Living in a country where a quarter of the land lives barely above sea-level, the people of Bangladesh are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the havoc wrought by natural hazards. REACH focuses on improving the preparedness and informing the needs of vulnerable host and refugee populations along the coastlines in Cox’s Bazar.