In October, more than half of the 2.5 million people internally displaced in Iraq had yet to return home. About 500,000 of these people live like “squatters in slum areas with no assistance or legal right to the properties they occupy,” according to Refugees International.

If they returned home, they would likely find their homes destroyed, it would be unsafe, and there would be no jobs, education or access to basic services.

While Iraq needs to make plans to assist its own people, the United States also needs to continue its humanitarian efforts in the region. We must reaffirm our commitment to helping Iraqi refugees and displaced persons.

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