Iraq — Displacement Report 121 (March - April 2021)

Data collection for Round 121 took place in March and April 2021. As of 30 April 2021, DTM identified 4,867,050 returnees (811,175) households), dispersed across 8 governorates, 38 districts, and 2,156 locations in Iraq. A total of 15,234 new returnees were recorded in the March-April 2021 period. This is lower than the number of new returnees recorded in the January-February 2021 period (20,250), and is one of the lowest return rates since 2015. This low return rate in March-April 2021 compared to previous rounds may be partially attributable to the closure and consolidation of camps that mainly took place between September and December 2020 and the subsequent increase in returns during that time. Additionally, the low return rate may be explained by movement restrictions imposed across the country, to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) between February and April 2021. The most common governorates that individuals returned to between March and April 2021 include Ninewa (where 7,056 new individuals were recorded), Anbar (4,584), Kirkuk (1,524), Salah al-Din (1,518), and Diyala (468).