80% of Sinjar population prefer staying in camps, official says

Shafaq News / The Migration and Displacement Department of Dohuk, a governorate in the Kurdistan region, has disclosed that a staggering 70% of the population of Sinjar is presently residing in displacement camps within the governorate.

Dian Jaafar, Director of the Migration and Displacement Department, shared the reasons for the displaced people's continued stay in the camps during an interview with the Shafaaq News Agency.

He cited "the lack of security and safety, as well as the presence of illegal forces controlling judicial affairs, including elements of the Kurdistan Workers' Party and its allied factions" as the main factors.

Jaafar further confirmed that the return of Sinjar's population to their homes could become a reality if the Sinjar Agreement, signed between Baghdad and Erbil, is fully implemented.

Meanwhile, a displaced person from Sinjar has returned to a displacement camp in Dohuk, as she feels unsafe amidst the current situation in the district. She asserted that the "situation in Sinjar is very difficult, and there is no security, electricity, water, or reconstruction."

Similarly, another displaced person, Citizen Khairi, declined the prospect of returning to the district, as he believes that the forces and parties currently controlling the district have caused political and security conflicts.

He stated that "for these reasons, the people of Sinjar cannot return to their areas and prefer to stay in the displacement camps, which is easier for them than not feeling safe there."

According to the latest figures released by the Migration and Displacement Department in Dohuk, over 300,000 displaced people have been living in 15 camps in Dohuk for more than nine years, after ISIS invaded their