Shafaq News – Duhok

International humanitarian support for displaced families in Duhok has dropped by nearly 80 percent this year, forcing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to take on a greater share of the burden, a senior official said on Thursday.

The cutback comes as more than 100,000 people remain uprooted in the province, nearly a decade after the war against the ISIS group, and amid the ongoing clashes between Turkiye and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Diyan Jaafar, head of the Migration and Displacement Directorate in Duhok, told Shafaq News that the funding shortfall has created “a significant challenge in covering basic needs such as heating fuel, food, and shelter,” noting that while the United Nations and international charities remain active, their overall contributions have sharply declined.

For years, displaced families in Iraq relied on international actors, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNICEF, and aid groups such as Caritas and Catholic Relief Services. Their programs supported shelter, education, medical care, and winter supplies.

In Duhok, more than 2,830 displaced families live in 15 established camps, while an estimated 35,000 families are scattered outside the camps with even less access to assistance. Local organizations, particularly the Barzani Charity Foundation, have stepped in, but officials say they cannot offset the loss of international support.

As winter nears, the KRG has secured some relief through Baghdad. Jaafar confirmed that Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement will distribute 200 liters of kerosene per camp family between October and November. Families outside the camps remain excluded from the program, a policy in place since 2017 despite repeated appeals.

The ministry has also pledged to deliver 2,000 new tents to Duhok to improve shelter conditions.