Internal Displacement in Iraq: Internally Displaced Persons and Disputed Territory

The protracted conflict in Iraq has led to one of the highest internal displacements of people worldwide. With data from the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix and other sources, geographic information system methods were applied to investigate the quantitative and spatial characteristics of Iraq’s internally displaced persons (IDPs). Based on this analysis, significant numbers of IDPs were found to be displaced among the disputed territories of northern Iraq. The findings of this analysis, when paired with additional research, poses serious complications not only for the security of Iraq’s IDPs but also for the country. The proliferation of militias and ISIL into these territories will prolong the wider conflict and intensify the territorial dispute between the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, in particular the final status of At-Ta’mim (Kirkuk) governorate