This paper is part of a three-year research project examining livelihoods in contexts of urban displacement, with the aim of generating more innovative, long-term thinking on how displaced populations sustain and rebuild their lives in protracted crises.
Focusing on internally displaced people (IDPs) in Mosul, the study explores how households are navigating deteriorating economic conditions, damaged infrastructure and growing climate-related risks. The findings challenge assumptions that displacement in Iraq is largely resolved, showing instead that many IDPs remain trapped in protracted and worsening situations, with limited access to services, livelihoods and protection.
The research highlights a significant disconnect between the withdrawal of humanitarian actors and the lack of corresponding investment in systems, infrastructure and job creation. This gap exposes the limitations of prevailing “transition” narratives and offers a cautionary case for global debates on the future of humanitarian action, particularly in the context of the ongoing humanitarian reset led by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (IASC, 2025)
The paper is part of a comparative series of city case studies from Mekelle (Ethiopia), Mosul (Iraq), and Baidoa (Somalia), which together examine the gap between the livelihoods strategies IDPs are already pursuing and the types of support typically provided by aid actors. Drawing on extensive literature review and primary data collection, the research maps IDPs’ priorities, barriers and opportunities, while analysing the role of governments and humanitarian actors in enabling more effective and sustainable livelihoods support.
