OFDA Fact Sheet

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Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq
 
ProgramSnapshot young boy with hands on his head amidst rubble 
  • USAID/OFDA[1] humanitarian assistancesince fiscal year (FY) 2003:  $442 million.
  • Humanitarian Sectors:  Agriculture and food security; economic recovery and market systems (ERMS); logistics and emergency relief commodities; health; humanitarian coordination and information management; nutrition; protection; shelter and settlements; and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
  • Iraq Government Counterparts: Ministry of Displacement and Migration, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Construction and Housing, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works.

Current Humanitarian Situation  

The international humanitarian community estimates that 2.8 million people are displaced in Iraq, including 1.6 million following the February 2006 Al-Askari mosque bombing in Samarra.  In addition, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) registered approximately 230,000 Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries as of December 2010.

 The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center has reported a marked decrease in the rate of return since 2009, likely due to concerns about continued insecurityand a lack of basic services.  According to UNHCR, more than 92,450 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 26,400 refugees returned to points of origin between January and December 2010.  The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has identified approximately 420,000 returnees total in Iraq, with the majority residing in Baghdad and Diyala governorates.
 
 Relief agencies have noted improved humanitarian access to vulnerable populations nationwide since 2003.  This has allowed U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to expand programs to meet humanitarian needs.  In areas where conditions have stabilized, aid agencies are shifting to early recovery activities.
 
USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Program  

Since 2003, USAID/OFDA has contributed more than $442 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq, with approximately $15 million provided since October 2010.  Despite insecurity and intermittent humanitarian access, USAID/OFDA grantees have consistently provided humanitarian aid to vulnerable individuals in Iraq, including IDPs, returnees, female and elderly heads of household, orphans, the disabled, widows, and large families.  USAID/OFDA grantees provide transitional and emergency shelter, WASH facilities and services, livelihoods support, humanitarian coordination and information management, protection for vulnerable groups, and logistics and relief commodities.  By supporting humanitarian relief efforts in a variety of sectors, USAID/OFDA grantees improve vulnerable communities’ resilience to disasters and mitigate the impact of environmental and conflict-induced displacement. 

In FY 2011, USAID/OFDA has provided humanitarian assistance through the International Rescue Committee (IRC), International Relief and Development (IRD), and IOM.  In FY 2010, USAID/OFDA provided assistance through six NGOs and two international organizations. In FY 2011 and FY 2010, USAID/OFDA programs have targeted more than 1.3 million vulnerable individuals nationwide.   

Lackof adequate shelter is one of the most pressing issues facing IDPs, returnees, and other vulnerable populations throughout Iraq.  In response, USAID/OFDA has provided funding for emergency and transitional shelter for more than 18,500 individuals in FY 2010 and FY 2011.  

USAID/OFDA grantees continue to address underemployment by working with local authorities to provide the vocational training and physical resources required to build local human capacity and restart businesses.  USAID/OFDA economic recovery programs reached up to 53,000 individuals in FY 2010 and 2011. 

USAID/OFDA also supports WASH interventions, including water infrastructure rehabilitation and hygiene promotion training.  USAID/OFDA WASH activities benefited more than 467,000 in FY 2010 and have targeted approximately 160,000 beneficiaries to date in FY 2011.

 
USAID/OFDA Stories from the Field
 
Rehabilitating Shelter and Providing Relief Items: In FY 2011, USAID/OFDA is funding the IRC to provide safe, secure, and habitable shelter to more than 1,000 extremely vulnerable individuals in the Abo Ghraib district of Baghdad Governorate.  In addition, local workers will receive construction hazard mitigation training through a cash-for-work program, increasing local capacity for hazard mitigation in future shelter construction projects.    
 
Bolstering ERMS:  The Iraqi economy may be unable to provide sufficient work for nearly 30 percent of the labor force, according to a 2009 report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  IDPs and returnees may be particularly prone to underemployment; according to IOM assessments, even though access to work is a critical need for 75 percent of IDPs.  USAID/OFDA assistance for ERMS interventions in FY 2011 includes nearly $4.3 million for an IOM livelihoods program that provides tools and vocational training in accordance with local market demand and abilities of more than 1,000 beneficiaries.  The program is expected to enable the expansion of small businesses and improve beneficiaries’ employability.
 
Improving WASH:  Iraq has experienced water shortages since 2007 due to drought, population growth, and inadequate water management practices.  With USAID/OFDA assistance, the International Medical Corps (IMC) conducted water resource management trainings to assist communities in formulating long-term water management and drought contingency plans in cooperation with local authorities and technical experts. 
 
Improving Humanitarian Coordination and Information:  To combat the adverse psychological impact of prolonged exposure to conflict and insecurity, USAID/OFDA grantee Save the Children has constructed child-friendly safe spaces and provided psychosocial support training to educators of children in emergency situations.  In addition, USAID/OFDA grantees have conducted more than 150 protection workshops and trainings inphysical protection for women, children, and other vulnerable populations.    
 

Emergency Relief Supplies:  With FY 2010 USAID/OFDA funding, IOM pre-positioned approximately 5,000 relief commodity kits for use by up to 30,000 individuals.  Most recently, IOM distributed pre-positioned relief commodities to religious minorities affected by sectarian violence in Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Erbil governorates.   

[1]USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA)