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Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Displacement is one of the tragic consequences of conflict. Elizabeth Ferris argues that once a conflict ends, resolving displacement and preventing future displacement is inextricably linked with achieving a lasting peace.
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Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Recently discussion has turned to the prospects for the large-scale return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to Iraq. More than 4 million Iraqis have been displaced, either internally or externally. And while the Iraqi and US governments, policymakers in the region, and humanitarian actors assume that most will return to Iraq in the near future, Elizabeth Ferris points out that experience with other displacement crises indicates that return will be neither automatic nor straightforward.
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Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT
With increased levels of security in Iraq in 2008-9, displaced persons have begun to make decisions about their future: whether to return to their place of origin, locally integrate or resettle in a third location. As Jamille Bigio and Jen Scott argue, the time is ripe to assess how the government of Iraq, with the support of international and national actors, can advance the process of achieving durable solutions to displacement.
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Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
To explore the strategies by which Europe can increase its commitment in Iraq and make a constructive difference, the Center on the U.S. and Europe and the Heinrich Böll Foundation convened a workshop in April 2009. In this paper, Justin Vaisse and Sebastian Gräfe summarize the consolidated advice advocated by the workshop participants.
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Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- April 01, 2009, 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
On April 1, the Center on the U.S. and Europe and the Heinrich Böll Foundation convened a workshop to explore the strategies by which Europe can increase its commitment in Iraq and make a constructive difference.
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Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization requires protecting and assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been uprooted from their homes and made vulnerable to violence, exploitation, discrimination and other human rights violations. In this paper, Andrew Solomon and others review the international standards and best practices for protecting the housing, land and property rights of IDPs.
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Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- February 20, 2009, 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM
The basic principles of humanitarian action are being challenged from all sides. Upholding the neutrality of humanitarian action and protecting humanitarian space is increasingly difficult and perhaps nowhere as much as in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Iraq and Afghanistan face displacement crises of massive proportions. According to best estimates, the number approaches two million refugees and 2.8 million IDPs. Although the pace of displacement has slowed since mid-2007, few IDPs and refugees have been able to return, their resources are running out, and international assistance has been inadequate. The longer displacement lasts, the more complicated it will be to resolve.
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Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Throughout the Muslim world, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes and communities for many reasons, including both conflicts and natural disasters. This massive displacement of people affects both national development plans and individual human development, affecting relationships between countries, UN Security Council discussions, and peace processes. In short, as Hady Amr and Elizabeth Ferris argue, understanding—and resolving—displacement is central to development, peace, and security.
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Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Michael O'Hanlon and Raid Juhi Hamadi al Saedi, the judge who presided over Saddam Hussein's trial, write that Iraq's recent progress is fragile and several major unresolved issues could threaten the country's future stability. Nothing is more fundamental, they argue, than the effort to help more than 4 million individuals displaced by violence to return home safely without igniting another round of sectarian killing and cleansing as they do so.
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Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The recent news from Iraq has been mostly good. Violence is down significantly, sectarian militias are giving ground to Iraqi security forces, and we see signs of a political process that could foster reconciliation, deliver basic services and pave the way for an orderly U.S. withdrawla. However, one major threat to Iraq's hard-won stability has yet to be fully acknowledged, let alone addressed: the problem of displacement.
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Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
One feature of the new Iraq is the presence of disputed territories. In an interview with Peshawa Abdulkhaliq Muhammed from Kurdistani Nwe, Roberta Cohen discusses the issues surrounding the disputed territories in Iraqi Kurdistan, including Kirkuk and propects for the resolution of this dispute.
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Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Refugees and internally displaced persons are hardly a new phenomenon for Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, forced displacement was a tool used to subdue recalcitrant populations and punish political opponents. Roberta Cohen says that the U.S. invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, far from resolving the problem however, made it worse. The ensuing conflicts increased the number of people forced to flee their homes and a combination of national and international steps needs to be taken.
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Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
It is no coincidence that many internally displaced persons and refugees are members of minority groups. In every region of the world, minorities have been repressed, killed and displaced by governments and other armed actors seeking to take over their territory, command their loyalty, and control their actions. In this paper, Elizabeth Ferris & Kimberly Stoltz examine the relationship between minorities and displacement, with a particular emphasis on Iraq's smaller minorities.
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Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As violent incidents decrease in Iraq and as US combat troops prepare to withdraw, expectations will grow that Iraqis will return to their communities in growing numbers. In fact, UN Officials and political leaders in Iraq, the region, and the US have always expected that return will be the durable solution for Iraqi IDPs and refugees without giving serious consideration to other options. For returns to be successful, the government of Iraq and the international community need to learn from the lessons of other mass returns of displaced populations and refugees.
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Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The future of Iraq hinges on its young, but far too many of them have been driven into exile.
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Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- August 22, 2008, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
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.
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Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:20:14 GMT
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.
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Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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."
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Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT
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.
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Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The nature of the conflict in Iraq has created a displacement crisis marked by situations of urban displacement, making humanitarian assistance more difficult.
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Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:09:14 GMT
A Brookings News Release, October 25, 2002
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Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Carlos Pascual argues that a serious and calibrated United Nations role in Iraq is both justified and necessary, even if success cannot be guaranteed. "Iraq is not just an American problem - and there are no viable American unilateral solutions."
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Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Paper by Elizabeth Ferris (8/27/07)
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Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement provides periodic updates on humanitarian issues in Iraq, with a particular focus on the factors behind the growing displacement crisis. The Project has recently completed a large field-based study of Iraqi displacement patterns to Syria, and many of its finding are presented here.
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Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The near-blind eye the United States has turned to the humanitarian crisis now unfolding from the Iraq war threatens to undermine any hope for real peace and security in that region for years and perhaps decades to come. The displacement of 4 million Iraqis to date -- one in seven of the country's citizens -- is the largest the Middle East has known since 1948.
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Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
In the spirit of a unified U.S. security strategy, Carlos Pascual and Larry Diamond offer a framework for near-term congressional action on hearings and appropriations to support a policy toward Iraq that is comprehensive and responsible.
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Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The dramatic increase in sectarian violence, lawlessness and abductions in Iraq has resulted in a massive displacement of Iraqis, including a large-scale exodus to Syria, according to a report released today by the Brookings Institution-University of Bern Project on Internal Displacement.
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Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
With President George W. Bush’s surge strategy fully implemented, several major offensives are now underway to root out insurgents and improve security conditions. Michael O'Hanlon and Edward Joseph conclude that the only hope for stabilizing Iraq may be a soft partition into Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni regions.
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Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Web-Ed by Elizabeth Ferris (4/13/07)
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Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Statement by Roberta Cohen at Georgetown University (3/21/07)
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Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT
As the latest National Intelligence Estimate shows, Iraq is a failed state ensnared in a civil war. For the United States, the stakes in Iraq include humanitarian considerations (already, two million refugees have fled Iraq, and another 1.6 million have been displaced internally), regional risks to peace, and global consequences affecting oil supplies and nuclear proliferation.
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Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Statement by Elizabeth Ferris at The Brookings Institution (2/14/07)
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Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Roberta Cohen and Ashraf al-Khalidi (1/4/07)
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Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Kenneth M. Pollack and Daniel L. Byman propose a set of policy options that the United States could employ to try to contain the "spill over" effects of a full-scale Iraqi civil war.
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Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Article by Daniel L. Byman and Kenneth M. Pollack, The Atlantic Monthly (November 2006)
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Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Occasional Paper by Ashraf al-Khalidi and Victor Tanner (10/18/2006)
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Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Article by Kenneth M. Pollack and Daniel L. Byman, Berlin Journal (Fall 2006)
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Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Article by Walter Kälin, Forced Migration Review (6/20/07)
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Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Statements by Walter Kaelin, Dina Abou Samra, Dr. Norbert Wuehler, and Roberta Cohen
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Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT
The Marsh Arabs suffered egregious human rights abuses under the Saddam Hussein regime, including military attacks, forced expulsions, and the destruction of homes, livelihoods, health and welfare networks. While all of Iraq needs attention, Roberta Cohen says, the region of the Marsh Arabs is a unique one, requiring specially tailored solutions.
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Fri, 21 May 2004 00:00:00 GMT
Interview with Roberta Cohen (5/21/2004)
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Wed, 03 Sep 2003 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- September 03, 2003, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
The United States continues to struggle to stabilize Iraq and the Middle East, despite taxing setbacks in both areas. The Bush administration's efforts to rebuild Iraq and make peace between Israelis and Palestinians have hit important obstacles, and experts inside and outside of government are debating whether it is time for new approaches.
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Mon, 09 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT
Statement by Roberta Cohen on Humanitarian and Human Rights Issues in Iraq, The Brookings Board of Trustees (6/9/2003)
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Wed, 07 May 2003 14:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- May 07, 2003, 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
One of the legacies of Saddam Hussein's regime is the near destruction of the Iraqi marshlands near the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers, home to the 5000-year "Marsh Arab" civilization and site of vast oil deposits. Baghdad couopled massive engineering projects to drain water from the marshes and the shelling and burning of villages, the poisoning of fishing grounds, and the assassination and abduction of local leaders. Untold numbers of "Marsh Arabs" perished, and close to 200,000 were forcibly displaced and the environment suffered severe damages.
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Wed, 23 Apr 2003 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- April 23, 2003, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
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Wed, 16 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Roberta Cohen and Michael O'Hanlon in The Baltimore Sun (April 16, 2003)
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Mon, 14 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT
With the Saddam Hussein regime gone, the first priority in Iraq must not be to forestall a humanitarian crisis that threatens to envelop the country in a very short time. Roberta Cohen and Michael O'Hanlon argue that the prompt restoration of law and order is the key to resolving the crisis and avoiding more dire consequences, especially with Iraq's infrastructure in a state of collapse.
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Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- April 10, 2003, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
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Thu, 27 Mar 2003 09:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- March 27, 2003, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
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Thu, 27 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT
There are certain distinctive features in this war when one looks at the humanitarian situation as compared with other recent emergencies. For example, most of the Iraqi population, an estimated 16 million people, are completely dependent on food aid from abroad. Roberta Cohen argues that as the occupying power, the United States bears the primary responsibility for guaranteeing the safety and protection of the civilian population in Iraq.
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Tue, 11 Feb 2003 14:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- February 11, 2003, 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
As America prepares for a possible war in Iraq, most planning in the humanitarian area is focused on the delivery of food, medicine, and shelter to Iraqi civilians. But assaults, reprisals, massacres, and other human rights abuses perpetrated against the civilian population during or following a war should also cause concern, and they could undermine support for the U.S. operation.
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Sat, 28 Dec 2002 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Roberta Cohen and consultant John Fawcett in the International Herald Tribune (December 28, 2002)
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Wed, 20 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT
Iraq Memo by Roberta Cohen, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, and John Fawcett, International Consultant on Humanitarian Issues, for the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, November 20, 2002
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Thu, 14 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT
The situation in Iraq, like most other humanitarian emergencies, has produced, and continues to produce, both internally displaced persons and refugees. Both groups, argues Roberta Cohen, need and will continue to need protection until there is a resolution of their plight.
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Tue, 01 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT
Internal displacement in Iraq has a variety of causes. As John Fawcett and Victor Tanner argue, the main cause has been the long-used state policy of expulsions, often with genocidal ends.
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Sun, 23 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT
As the first international standards for internally displaced persons (IDPs), Roberta Cohen argues that the Guiding Principles identify the rights of the internally displaced and the obligations of governments toward these populations, and provide guidance to all other actors engaged with the internally displaced.