Refugees of Iraq

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Refugees of Iraq are Iraqi nationals who have fled Iraq due to war or persecution. In 1980- 2017, large number of refugees fled Iraq, peaking with the Iraq War and continuing until the end of the War in Iraq (2013–2017). Precipitated by a series of conflicts including the Kurdish rebellions during the Iran–Iraq War (1980 to 1988), Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait (1990) and the Gulf War (1991), the subsequent sanctions against Iraq (1991–2003), culminating in the Iraq War and the subsequent War in Iraq (2013–2017), millions were forced by insecurity to flee their homes in Iraq. Iraqi refugees established themselves in urban areas in other countries rather than refugee camps.^[1]

In April 2007, there were approximately four million Iraqi refugees around the world, including 1.9 million in Iraq, 2 million in neighboring Middle East countries, and around 200,000 in countries outside the Middle East.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has led the humanitarian efforts for Iraqi refugees.^[5] The Iraqi displacement of several million was the largest in the Middle East, exceeding the number of Palestinians displaced during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.^[5][7]

As of 2024, Iraq is experiencing relative stability, but still faces significant humanitarian, development needs, and security challenges. The country has approximately 1.14 million Internally Displaced Persons(IDP) and has seen around 5 million IDP returnees. In 2024, the UNHCR enhanced the transitioning from emergency response to a longer-term development approach, emphasizing durable solutions and strengthening national systems to provide services such as child protection and gender-related violence response.^[8]