Iraq's 1.6 million displaced need urgent help: agency

More than 1.6 million Iraqis are still displaced and in urgent need of assistance after fleeing Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence, the International Organisation for Migration said Friday. "We urgently need a much greater level of humanitarian response and funding to meet the challenges," said Rafiq Tschannen, the IOM's chief of mission in Iraq. "The future of Iraq depends on the resolution of the displacement crisis," he added. The displacement -- sparked by a wave of violence following the bombing of a Shiite holy shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in February 2006 -- has now slowed to a trickle, the IOM said in a report. Despite that, the future of the Iraqis forced from their homes was "as uncertain as ever without greater humanitarian intervention," it said. Their number remains "worryingly high" and the majority are suffering from food shortages, substandard and expensive accommodation, while work is scarce. Healthcare is also a growing concern due to damaged medical facilities and a lack of qualified medical staff and equipment, according to the agency. The displaced, about 270,000 families, represent more than five percent of the country's population. About 61 percent would like to return to their homes, while the remainder do not and would rather stay where they are or move to another location, according to an IOM survey.