Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the safety and security of internally displaced persons returning from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the Nineveh Plains.

​Displaced people in all areas of Iraq continue to deal with significant challenges, including forced displacement, risk of eviction and a lack of access to services. A significant number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) reside in Ninewa; recent updates from camps in the governorate suggest that the majority of issues are around poor access to electricity and water, whilst the main concerns for out-of-camp IDPs relate to need for healthcare services and cash assistance. UK officials closely monitor the humanitarian situation across the whole of Iraq. Overall there has been significant progress since the country was liberated from Daesh, with the number of IDPs now below two million, and the number of returnees over four million. If we are to see continued progress, it will be vital for the Government of Iraq to coordinate closely with the Kurdish Regional Government to ensure that IDPs continue to be able to return to areas such as the Ninewa Plains.