KRG to fascilitate 'safe, voluntary, and dignified' return of Mosul IDPs

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday issued a statement regarding the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes.

The announcement noted the IDPs would return to their homes in areas recently liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in the Nineveh Plain and Mosul

“As two-thirds of Mosul city has been liberated and we are confidently eliminating the presence of [IS], it is our priority to ensure the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of [IDPs],” the statement read.

“We will work hard to ensure a successful and transparent return process with the best interest of the civilian population in mind,” the report continued.

The KRG emphasized they would support the “free choice” of IDPs choosing to return to their homes.

Additionally, the Kurdish government noted they did “not have any intention whatsoever to close the camps where the displaced population are hosted.”

“Such measures would be in stark contrast of our policy,” the statement added.

Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces launched the operation to liberate Mosul from IS on Oct. 17, 2016.

Since the beginning of the offensive, the Kurdistan Region has received over 95,000 displaced people from the city.

The KRG noted they continue to provide “security, protection, and services without discrimination based on ethnicity, religious background, color, or political affiliations.”

“Our policy has been consistent throughout this humanitarian crisis, and we will maintain this policy,” the KRG emphasized.

The Kurdistan Region is currently home to nearly 1.8 million IDPs and refugees who fled the threat of IS from parts of Iraq and Syria.

Editing by Ava Homa