RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, October 02, 2008, The Brookings Institution
Provincial elections are an important step toward national reconciliation in Iraq, but steps must be taken to ensure that the displaced— both refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)— are able to participate. Despite the passage of the provincial elections law, there are no provisions for Iraqis living outside the country to vote, meaning that close to 10% of Iraq's populatioin will be disenfranchised, with serious consequences for the legitimacy of the elections. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, August 2008, Viewpoints
Most of those writing about future scenarios for Iraq rarely mention the fate of the five million displaced Iraqis, but when they do, they seem to assume that once security and political progress in Iraq are achieved, the refugees and interanlly displaced persons (IDPs) will return to their communities and life will go on. Unfortunately, even in the best of political scenarios, it is unlikely to be so straightforward. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Roberta Cohen, Fall 2008, American University International Law Review, Vol. 24, Issue 2
Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are hardly a new phenomenon for Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, forced displacement was a deliberate state policy and a tool used to subdue recalcitrant populations and punish political opponents. The U.S. invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, far from resolving the problem however, made it worse. The ensuing sectarian violence and armed conflict increased the number of those forced to flee their homes. For these 4.7 million Iraqis, assistance has remained difficult to find. A combination of national and international steps need to be taken. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, August 22, 2008
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
Since the attack on Iraq’s al-Askari Mosque in February 2006, over 1.5 million Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in other parts of Iraq and approximately 2 million have fled into neighboring countries. The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement at Brookings hosted a discussion on finding solutions to this ongoing crisis and the variety of challenges facing the prospects of return and resettlement. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, August 2008, The Brookings Institution
Lost in discussions of the military surge, the pace of troop drawdowns, and political benchmarks are millions of displaced Iraqis. Their plight is both a humanitarian tragedy and a strategic crisis that is not being addressed. Read More
VIDEO
Khalid Koser and Daljit Dhaliwal, July 03, 2008
A new United Nations report finds that in the past year the number of refugees worldwide has increased from 9 to 11 million. Khalid Koser, deputy director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, discusses the causes behind this increase as well as possible implications if the number of refugees continues to climb.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon and Ann Gildroy, April 16, 2008, The Washington Post
Michael O'Hanlon and Ann Gildroy believe that "after a 75 percent reduction in the rate of violence ... and significant accomplishments by Iraqi leaders ... there is a reasonable prospect of achieving a sustainable stability there within the next few years." Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, March 05, 2008, Opportunity 08: What Matters
While much has been made of the impact of the surge on Iraq, very little has been discussed about the humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq. Even in the best of cases there will still be almost 5 million Iraqi refugees and IDPs who will need help to find durable solutions. If they are unable to find such solutions, the ramifications will be widespread—for Iraq, for the region, and for America. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris and Kimberly Stoltz, March 03, 2008, New Security Developments and Displacements in Iraq Series
Often described as the next "powder keg" in Iraq, the issue of Kirkuk's status has gripped the nation, its neighbors, and the international community. This referendum is significant because it is linked both to Iraq's past and the future of the "new" Iraq. As Brookings expert Elizabeth Ferris and Kimberly Stoltz argue, failing to reconcile the competing interests and property claims in, not only Kirkuk but also other disputed territories, could lead to further destruction and chaos in Iraq. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, February 29, 2008, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
The next American president will face the challenge of a humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq. Even in the best of cases there will be almost five million Iraqi refugees and IDPs who will need help to find solutions. Brookings expert Elizabeth Ferris reminds the candidates that if solutions are not found—if the displaced remain homeless, jobless, destitute and vulnerable to abuse and exploitation—the ramifications will be widespread for Iraq and the entire region. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, February 09, 2008, 9th Annual Conference on Public Service & the Law, University of Virginia School of Law
The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement serve as an international standard to guide governments as well as international humanitarian and development agencies in providing assistance and protection to IDPs. As Brookings expert Elizabeth Ferris argues, the Guiding Principles clearly apply to the people displaced inside Iraq. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Rhodri C. Williams, January 08, 2008, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
The division of Iraq has frequently been argued as a way to end the political violence plaguing the country. While these proposals have met with significant criticism, a largely unnoted risk is that these debates overshadow the humanitarian plight of those displaced by the violence in Iraq. Drawing connections with Bosnia, Williams argues that whatever the political outcome, the property rights of the displaced need to be protected. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, December 06, 2007, "Iraq's Displacement Crisis and the International Response," Center for American Progress
The dire situation of the internally displaced in Iraq has been creating humanitarian and security problems for some time now. And while the situation has yet to markedly improve, the real challenge for Iraq lies in the future with the eventual return of not only IDPs, but the millions of refugees who have fled the conflict. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, October 25, 2007, American University
The nature of the conflict in Iraq has created a displacement crisis marked by situations of urban displacement, making humanitarian assistance more difficult. Read More