OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Iraq
31 October 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Highlights

- The status of the 2008 Consolidated Appeal for Iraq and a glimpse
   into the 2009 CAP
- Update on the Cholera Outbreak
- Protection of Civilians and Population Movement (Displacement)
- Coordination
- Watch-List


The Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) for Iraq.

2008 CAP

In 2008, UN agencies and NGOs assisted Iraqis at home and in the region 
through a range of different mechanisms. The first consolidated appeal for 
Iraq, issued in February, was primarily focussed on assisting displaced 
and vulnerable Iraqis in-country, requesting $265 million, while across 
the region the humanitarian community addressed the needs of Iraqi 
refugees through several different appeals and ad hoc funding requests. 
These served as a vital channel for relief to families in health, shelter, 
water, sanitation, education, protection and food aid. However, they did 
not provide a consolidated picture ofIraq's internal and external 
humanitarian priorities.

Since the 2008 CAP was issued, Iraq has increased support for humanitarian 
response and also provided assistance to its neighbours most of whom allow 
Iraqi refugees some but inadequate access to public services. As Iraq 
looks to the future, the Iraqi Government has clearly stated its intent to 
move from foreign assistance to self-sufficiency. The 2009 Consolidated 
Appeal for Iraq and the Region will support this goal, by reaching Iraq's 
most vulnerable citizens in-country and abroad, and bringing them a step 
closer to stability and reconstruction.

The current CAP 2008 funding stands at $164,675,584 out of a [revised 
mid-year] appeal total of $271,371,554 (60.7%). Funding is variable across 
sectors and direct funding to NGO projects remains extremely low. That 
said some NGOs are funded through contributions to UN agencies.

2009 CAP

Better access and data analysis in recent months has allowed Iraq's 
humanitarian actors an improved understanding of where vulnerabilities 
exist and therefore, where to focus resources. Among the recent studies 
resulting in improved understanding of the humanitarian situation in Iraq 
are the WFP Comprehensive Foodsecurity and Vulnerability Assessment in 
Iraq and the 2008 UNICEF-sponsored IMPACT surveys. According to the WFP 
Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment in Iraq, many 
social indicators have slowly but measurably risen from their lowest 
levels. Education and infrastructure-related indicators have improved. 
Unemployment remains stable at 17.5%, while food insecurity appears to 
have dropped to a quarter of 2005 rates.

These improvements not-withstanding, Iraq's humanitarian needs remain 
extensive and acute with significant humanitarian gaps. The impact of 
earlier violence continues to manifest itself nationwide as Iraqi families 
confront significant erosion of livelihoods and destruction of public 
assets, resulting in dismal levels of basic social services. The full 
scale of the damage is only now becoming visible. With the conflict 
grudgingly receding, pockets of severe deprivation are emerging. Some of 
these are directly linked to recent armed conflicts; others are a product 
of years of sanctions and war stretching back more than 25 years.

The humanitarian community has developed a more coherent and strategic 
approach linking response to existing and the emerging humanitarian needs 
both inside and outside Iraq in 2009. This approach is reflected in the 
mutually reinforcing design of the 2009 Consolidated Appeal for Iraq, 
following wide ranging consultations with all partners at all levels 
including in Baghdad, Amman and Erbil. It presents the totality of needs 
for Iraq and the region and comprises two pillars; (i) a national CAP for 
Iraq, to deliver immediate assistance to the most vulnerable communities 
and the most deprived-following years of decline in basic social services 
delivery, which have resulted in pockets of acute vulnerability-and assist 
Iraqi internally displaced and refugees returning to their homes; and (ii) 
a regional pillar for countries hosting Iraqi refugees focussing on the 
urgent Iraqi refugees' humanitarian needs in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, 
Egypt, Turkey, Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC) and 
assisting Palestinian, Iranian and Turkish refugees in Iraq until their 
safe, dignified and voluntary return is possible or other durable solution 
can be found. The Humanitarian Coordinator supported by OCHA will 
coordinate Pillar I, while UNHCR with OCHA's support is leading the second 
Pillar.

The second Consolidated Appeal for Iraq, as such, presents the totality of 
Iraq's humanitarian needs, both in-country and across the sub-region, 
representing a major humanitarian coordination effort across 12 countries 
to support affected Iraqi populations. It targets the most vulnerable 
families in areas of acute need (Pillar I) and seeks to provide 
humanitarian, legal and shelter assistance to returnee families (Pillar 
II). It enhances transparency of the response and provides a framework for 
enhanced humanitarian coordination on issues affecting Iraqi communities 
and refugees, as well as a framework for developing stronger humanitarian 
cooperation between Iraq and neighbouring countries.

The two Pillars are linked by conditions inside Iraq, which is moving from 
crisis into fragile transition following years of violence. The security 
and political context is at its most encouraging yet, but remains tenuous. 
Rates of violence have dropped by 75% since mid-2007. As security 
improves, some IDPs are returning to their homes. The obtaining fragile 
stability is allowing for the replacement of a trend of internal 
displacement with a small movement in IDP returns, and the beginnings of 
refugee returns.

Full Report: 
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=0D7ACAD9DE7DAE0DC1257500004B96F8&file=Full_Report.pdf


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