The KRG has limited experience in dealing with incoming waves of refugees, and it has become increasingly difficult to bear the burden of providing services. The following points shed some light on the need for further assistance to Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region.

1. Administrative gaps:

The Kurdistan Region currently holds the vast majority of the Syrian refugees within Iraq and this place a large burden on the administration of the region. The KRG is currently

• Providing decent housing
• Providing integrated services (water and electricity connections)
• Meeting the need for sewage services
• Paving the streets in the camps
• Constructing schools, health centers, and offices of communication and transport services
• Collecting garbage and transferring waste out of the camps
• Registering refugees, and providing temporary residence documents

2. Economic gaps:

• As a result of the growing number of refugees, the KRG has increased spending, in addition to the amount allocated in the general budget for the Bureau of Immigration and Immigrants. The KRG has allocated an extra $20 million to keep up with the growing number of refugees and try to meet their requirements.

• The influx of refugees raises the demand of imported goods to meet the inability of domestic production; and the possibility of price changes, generally upward, could influence the purchasing power of the citizens of the Duhok and displaced Syrians alike.

• A possible impact on employment opportunities for Iraqi citizens may emerge as Syrian labor will likely be cheaper, because they possess higher levels of skills, or because they may work longer hours for less wages. The KRG will strive to carefully regulate employment and prevent exploitation.

3. Housing and services:

• The possible demand for housing may result in rising rents, costs, and land prices
• There may also be a tangible effect on service provision to citizens in the governorates as government spending may need to be adjusted to take into account the requirements of in and out of camp refugees

4. Current requirements and future needs:

- Administrative and technical

• The presence of a professional management cadre for the refugee camps, and in the area of refugee reception
• Training of local staff within government institutions, institutions of civil society, and the training of governmental leaders in how to assess the situation and the decision-making process in everything related to the camps and the refugees
• Technical hardware and software to facilitate the registration and follow-up matters of refugees, as well as in the preparation of studies related to the development of mechanisms of action to overcome imbalances and bottlenecks, and in the statement of needs and planning for the future
• The delivery of municipal services in particular (garbage and waste, sanitation, the supply of water and electricity, and paving of streets)

- Financial

• The need to allocate a special budget to the refugee camps (for the establishment and maintenance of camps, all components of the administrative units and health centers, schools and residential units, roads, streets and connections of water and electricity, sanitation, and camp management, training and staff development, and training of refugees, etc.)
• The need for a special budget allocated for the provision of funds distributed to the refugees who are unable to work, or who are not finding work
• The need for a budget allocated for the purchase of relief supplies (motor vehicles, tents and cabins, hardware and software, etc.)
• The need for the establishment of necessary infrastructure for the reception of refugees

- Material

• The availability of camps
• The availability of equipment and computers and software, and telecommunications and information technology
• The availability of cars, tankers and containers (especially water)
• The availability of equipment and supplies of tents, blankets and basic household equipment
• The availability of integrated facilities and services able to receive refugees
• Dry food and baby milk.

- Logistical

• The establishment of ongoing training workshops to train refugees in income-generating trades even if they cannot work outside the camps yet
• Ensuring the best protection of the camp
• Securing transportation and communications for refugees
• Building a database of contingency issues and solutions for the current and future needs of refugees