As the largest supporter of UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, in Iraq, the United States (USA) recently donated USD 27.8 million to help Syrian refugees and other Iraqi families displaced by Da’esh / ISIS (internally displaced persons/IDPs. ). This generous contribution demonstrates the US’s continued commitment to helping UNHCR address its most urgent humanitarian needs.
Five years after the defeat of ISIS and 11 years after the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the displaced population and their hosts still need support. Still in 2022, 1.2 million Iraqis have yet to return to their communities. Meanwhile, Iraq generously also hosts close to 300,000 refugees, most of whom are from Syria and live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
Generous US support enables UNHCR to promote the integration of refugees and displaced Iraqis, including those who have now returned to their homes, into local communities and public services. To do this, UNHCR works together with local partners and authorities in long-term support interventions such as the rehabilitation of schools, health centers and water and electricity networks. These interventions aim to build the capacity of public institutions to deliver quality and accessible services to the population and refugees themselves.
UNHCR also strives to promote community interaction and social cohesion through the creation of public spaces and community centers where mental health, especially for women and children survivors of violence, and legal services help them rebuild their lives, not least by acquiring identity documents.
In this case, it is estimated that a quarter of the IDPs lack civil documentation, because they lost them while fleeing violence and could not renew them in places controlled by ISIS. As a result, those who lack civil documentation face the challenge of accessing essential public services, as they cannot enroll their children in school or access healthcare. They are also deprived of the social safety net and risk arrest at the checkpoint.
H.E. Alina L. Romanowski said “The United States remains committed to helping the most vulnerable populations in Iraq. This contribution will help Iraqis displaced by ISIS reintegrate into their communities while also providing valuable support for education, healthcare, and other critical needs of refugees Syria in Iraq. UNHCR representative in Iraq, Jean Nicolas Beuze stated that “while the current situation in Iraq gradually stabilizes and presents opportunities for prosperity, we must continue to work with the authorities in Baghdad and KRI to strengthen community resilience and self-reliance. The generous, flexible contribution from the US allows UNHCR to prioritize those most in need and improve key public services in Iraq.
UNHCR is grateful for the generous and long-standing support from the United States of America to UNHCR. Since 2013, the US, through the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the State Department, has provided USD 484 million for refugee response. This support means that UNHCR can continue to offer protection and pursue durable solutions for internally displaced people and refugees in Iraq.
[For more information please contact:]
Firas Al-Khateeb, Spokesperson and Communications Officer
Erbil, Iraq +964 780 918 9700 khateeb@unhcr.org
Shaza Shekfeh, Associate Communications Officer
Erbil, Iraq +964 770 494 6384 shekfehs@unhcr.org
