Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq
Program Snapshot
- Assistance since January 2003: $340.5 million
- Assistance since October 1, 2008: $37.2 million
- Humanitarian Sectors: Agriculture and food security; economy and market systems; emergency relief supplies; health; humanitarian coordination; nutrition; protection; shelter and settlements; water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Current Humanitarian Situation
The international humanitarian community estimates a total of more than 2.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, including those displaced before 2003. An additional 1.5 million Iraqis have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported that between January 2008 and June 2009, nearly 323,000 displaced persons had returned - including nearly 48,000 refugees and more than 275,000 IDPs - primarily to Baghdad, Anbar, and Diyala governorates. Return rates accelerated in late 2007 and continue at a gradual pace as the country experiences significant security gains.
Humanitarian needs in Iraq persist, however, among both IDPs and returnees, and include shelter, livelihoods, and food. In addition, displaced families continue to require immediate emergency relief items and ongoing access to safe and protective spaces. Host communities are in need of assistance to repair and improve medical facilities and water and sanitation infrastructure to absorb displaced families. If and as security continues to improve, humanitarian organizations expect to successfully transition to community-based approaches to early recovery in the coming years.
USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Program
Since 2003, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) has contributed nearly $340 million in humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in Iraq. USAID/OFDA works through nine partner organizations to implement programs spanning all of Iraq's 18 governorates, providing assistance to bolster health, distribute emergency relief supplies, build or fortify shelter and settlements, generate income, support host communities, collect and analyze IDP and returnee data, coordinate humanitarian programs, and improve water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Priority humanitarian needs include shelter, livelihoods, and food for displaced and returnee families, as well as host communities.
In 2008 alone, USAID/OFDA provided more than $75 million in humanitarian assistance through activities that benefited approximately 1million IDPs and host families in Iraq. In the first quarter of FY 2009 alone, USAID/OFDA has contributed nearly $37 million to support ongoing emergency assistance to IDPs, host communities, and returnees.
Despite pockets of ongoing insecurity in Iraq, USAID/OFDA partners continue to implement effective emergency programs to provide food, water, health care, and safe spaces to displaced families. Since 2003, USAID/OFDA implementing partners have provided emergency relief commodities to approximately 725,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqis, of which a significant majority were IDPs. Several projects are multi-sectoral, such as expanding a school and upgrading its water and sanitation facilities to accommodate IDP children, while simultaneously providing project-related jobs for IDPs and supporting the host community through school improvements.
Extremely vulnerable groups, such as women, the elderly, and children, require access to both emergency and routine medical care. Host communities also need help to repair and improve medical facilities, and water and sanitation infrastructure to absorb displaced families.
USAID/OFDA-funded health interventions expand primary health care access for IDPs and communities hosting IDPs by rehabilitating primary health care centers and providing medical equipment and supplies to health care facilities. In addition, more than 140,000 people have received health education training, and mobile medical units provided outpatient services, referrals, and screenings to more than 300,000 individuals.
USAID/OFDA partners also implement tailored early recovery programs to promote durable solutions for communities and sustainable returns. Partners worked closely with local authorities to support public works projects providing temporary employment opportunities for tens of thousands of vulnerable IDPs and returnees. In addition, USAID/OFDA supported approximately 5,000 IDP and returnee farmers through the provision of micro-grants, seeds, and spare parts for farm equipment, as well as soil conservation and agronomy services. To increase employability of unskilled IDPs and returnees, USAID/OFDA also supported specialized vocational training programs with an average graduation rate of nearly 90 percent.
In addition, USAID/OFDA partners strive to build GOI capacity to monitor population movements and provide for the needs of IDPs and returnees. For example, to date in FY 2009, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $4 million for a humanitarian capacity-building program, including support for returnee assistance centers in Baghdad's Resafa and Karkh neighborhoods. The centers, aim to facilitate returnee registration and offer legal advice to refugees and IDPs returning to targeted areas of Baghdad. With USAID/OFDA funding, the Kharkh center had registered 4,599 returnee families by the end of the first quarter of 2009. During the final quarter of FY 2009, additional USAID/OFDA funded returns centers are scheduled to open in Diyala and Ninewa governorates.
USAID/OFDA Stories from the Field
Logistics and Relief Commodities: In Baghdad, a USAID/OFDA partner distributed food and non-food items to about 950 beneficiaries returning to their homes from internal displacement and abroad. In Mosul, USAID/OFDA partners distributed food and non-food items to 1,966 violence affected families. In Basrah, a USAID/OFDA partner distributed "back to school" kits to 2,000 school children.
Repairing Health and Medical Centers: In Ninewa, USAID/OFDA funded the provision of medical equipment and supplies to two primary health care centers frequented by IDPs near Mosul. The two health care centers can now provide medical services to more than 5,500 patients monthly. In Baghdad, partner provided training in first aid and mental health to 55 participants from central and southern Iraq.
Improving Water Sanitation and Hygiene: In Maysan and Babil, a USAID/OFDA partner distributed water purification tablets to cover the needs of 2,500 families for one month and distributed 75,000 sachets of oral rehydration salts in response to a cholera outbreak. In Ninewa, an OFDA partner repaired damaged water infrastructure in Alqosh to reduce contamination and loss of resources through leakages and replaced a water pump in Bashiqa. In Baghdad, an OFDA partner distributed hygiene kits and water sanitation tablets to 200 families and provided hygiene training to 66 teachers from 16 schools.
Supporting Protection Issues and Safe Spaces: In the Girdaseen IDP camp in Dohuk, a USAID/OFDA partner started preparing curriculum for courses in art, music, body fitness and social skills for a child friendly space. The program will benefit 160 displaced children. In Hilla, a USAID/OFDA partner is refurbishing a school, providing temporary employment for nearly 200 workers and improving a child friendly space used by more than 670 displaced children.
Adapting Assistance to Meet Changing Needs: USAID/OFDA assistance is flexible, adapting as needs on the ground change. For example, following reports that a group of returnees to southwest Baghdad were in need of shelter kits and non-food items, USAID/OFDA dispatched an implementing partner to conduct a needs assessment and intervene. USAID/OFDA also connected members of the Baghdad provincial government seeking support for displaced victims of sexual assault with a partner providing psychosocial medical care.
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