Shafaq News/ The Migration and Displacement Directorate in Duhok Province announced, on Tuesday, that comprehensive census operations are ongoing in the displacement camps within the province, as a part of the national preparations for Iraq's general census, which will include displaced persons in this process.

Directorate’s Head in Duhok, Diyan Jaafar, told Shafaq News that "the directorate has provided the necessary support and facilities for census teams, who have begun work in and outside the camps to document accurate data on the number of displaced persons in the province. The operation is expected to conclude within the next ten days."

Jaafar clarified that "Duhok Province has 15 displacement camps, housing approximately 55,875 displaced persons in and outside of the camps."

Yesterday, Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesperson, Muqdad Miri, highlighted that high-level coordination is ongoing with the Kurdistan Region through a joint operations center, noting that a curfew will apply to all provinces, including those within the Kurdistan Region.

The general population census will take place on November 20 and 21. Iraq last conducted a nationwide population census in 1987, followed by a 1997 count that excluded the Kurdistan Region. For years, the country has relied on estimates from unofficial research institutes and organizations. In 2022, the Planning Ministry estimated Iraq’s population to be over 42 million.