Despite the Iraqi government’s announcement that Daesh had been expelled from the country more than a year and a half ago, 1.5 million displaced people still live in the camps, in horrific conditions.

For most internally displaced people, the only dream is to return to their homes. Many are from the governorates of Nineveh, Saladin (north), Al-Anbar (west) and parts of Diyala, Baghdad and Babil (east). The suffering of displaced people in Iraq worse during Ramadan. Camps are not a suitable place to spend the holy month, according to Ayoub Radhi, a displaced person from the northern governorate of Saladin.

“We are living in a very difficult situation. The camps are no longer a suitable place for us. We are suffering along with our families from countless problems. We only want the government to return us back to our liberated areas,” Radhi told Anadolu.

He added: “Our suffering is increasing day by day, especially in the month of Ramadan, when the fasting person needs comfort that is not available in the camps. In addition, we are facing difficulties in the provision of the necessary needs, and suffering from health problems,” Radhi added.

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Many displaced people are still unable to return to their areas of origin. This is because many homes have been destroyed. Additionally, there is a lack of basic services infrastructure and unstable security situation.

Anas Akram, a member of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that about 1.5 million displaced people still live in about 20 camps scattered throughout the country.

Most of displaced Iraqis live in camps scattered across the country, primarily located in the south of Mosul and centre of Nineveh governorate.

Akram explained that the grievances of displaced Iraqis have been documented by the OHCHR. However, they did not receive the required assistance during the holy month of Ramadan, whether from the government or from international organisations.

He added that there is a clear lack of delivery of services to the displaced during Ramadan. There is a shortage of food supplies and a scarcity of economic resources, as well as a lack of government aid allocated to support those Iraqi citizens.