BAGHDAD -- Othman al-Gawwam was forced to leave his cherished home twice.
The first time he fled insecurity, fearing for the lives of his loved ones.
But today it is the government’s empty promises that are sending him and his family to a displacement camp.
"I’m being forced to return to a camp with my kids who again will be unable to go back to school," the father of two told IslamOnline.net.
Gawwam, 38, had returned with his family to their home in the capital Baghdad, hoping the government would help them after long gruelling years in displacement camps.
But for long months he tried in vain to find a job to put food on the table for his family.
"Officials said that if we return we are going to be assisted and get some payment to help us rebuild our lives, but we only found lies."
Displaced families lack health care and are unable to send their children to school.
Some have taken shelter in abandoned public buildings without proper water, electricity or sanitation.
According to recent government figures, there are nearly 2.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Iraq.
More than two million refugees live outside Iraq, mainly in Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and UAE.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that from all returnee families, 45 percent have one family member employed.
One third of assessed returnees, who are heads of household, reported they cannot find employment.
The report said some assessed returnees were worrying about having to move back to displacement camps for not finding a source of income.
Abandoned
Gawwam feels abandoned by his government.
"We heard promises and took the risk but when we found that nothing was being done to help us, the best thing was to return to displacement camps," he lamented.
"At least non-governmental organisations are helping us."
Ahmed Wissam Hayett, who has been displaced with his wife and four kids since 2006, has also lost any hope to return back home.
"I feel forced to stay in this camp because promises that the government is going to give us financial help are just a political propaganda."
Abdel-Muhssen Jalil, a senior official of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, recognizes the hardships suffered by IDPs.
"Displaced people in Iraq are being left behind the progress," he told IOL.
"The government had allocated nearly US $80 to each displaced family but the majority didn’t receive it and the ones who were lucky enough just got the payment for one month and nothing more."
The government said that nearly US$170 millions are to be allocated in the 2010 budget for the Displacement and Migration Ministry.
It is a mediocre amount of money but if distributed correctly, many families would have at least the right to eat a fresh vegetable or but clean water for their children," says Jalil.
Still, aid workers say the amount is 30 percent less than what is needed to overcome the problem and improve the living conditions of the IDPs.
Others are sceptical that even that amount of money would reach people who need it because of rampant government corruption.
Gawwam, the father of two, says being forced to return to the displaced camp has left him disillusioned about anything the government promises.
"I don’t recognise my country anymore"
By Afif Sarhan, IOL Correspondent
Source : Islam online
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