Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) - The KRG Ministry of Planning and the United Nations have finalised an immediate response plan for Iraqi IDPs sheltered in the Kurdistan Region, including clear objectives to be met by 15 November 2014.

The joint document states, "This massive influx of people in a short period has created a grave humanitarian crisis and is pushing to the limits the capacity of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the United Nations, the larger humanitarian community and indeed, the people of the Kurdistan region, to meet even the basic needs of the IDPs. The situation remains fluid as the IDP population remains widely dispersed, mobile and in great need."

The plan outlines the most important short-term humanitarian goals. "The purpose of this IDP Immediate Response Plan for KR-I, the result of a joint effort of the KRG government and the United Nations, with NGO participation, is to lay out a plan of priority actions to be taken between now and 15 November 2014 to meet the most urgent needs for shelter, food, health, water and sanitation. Education is also a priority and some preliminary indications of needs are also included in the document. It is well understood that much more needs to be done in these and other sectors; additional and longer range needs will be addressed in the countrywide Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Strategic Response Plan (of which this plan is a subset), which will be published in early October. This plan is a work in progress and will be updated as new information develops, gaps filled, etc."