40 pct of Iraqis displaced by Daesh have returned home

By Sarhad Shakir

NINEVEH, Iraq

More than 40 percent of Iraqis displaced during Daesh’s three-year reign of terror (2014-2017) have now returned to their homes, Iraq’s Displacement and Migration Ministry said Friday.

According to ministry figures, over the past three years, some 5.7 million Iraqis were forced to flee their homes -- in seven out of Iraq’s 19 provinces -- after the notorious terrorist group overran much of the country.

Recent figures compiled by Iraqi security agencies suggest that, of these, roughly 2.4 million -- about 40 percent of the total -- have since been repatriated.

In mid-2014, Daesh overran roughly one third of Iraq. Over the course of the last year, however, the Iraqi military -- backed by a U.S.-led coalition -- has succeeded in recovering all the lost territory.