Number of internally displaced Iraqis has declined, Red Crescent says

A report released today by the Iraqi Red Crescent says that the number of internally displaced Iraqis fell by 4.8 percent – or nearly 110,000 people – in October, Agence France-Presse reported.

This is the first significant drop in the Iraqi IDP population in the last two years.

According to the article: “The figures mark the first time the number of displaced families has dipped month on month after a steady rise that began after the Samarra bombing.”

“The Iraqi Red Crescent offered no explanation for the trend but the Iraqi government has said IDPs and refugees in neighboring countries are beginning to return to their homes in numbers in the wake of a drop in violence across the country,” the article says,

The article also states: “The Red Crescent said children under the age of 12 accounted for 58.6 percent of the internally displaced population.”

“In addition to their plight as being displaced, the majority suffer from disease, poverty and malnutrition,” the Red Crescent said.

For the full story, click here.