ReliefWeb

Highlights

• Ten million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in Iraq, of which approximately 4.7 million are children.

• UNICEF and its partners, including through the clusters developed contingency plans for humanitarian response in the case of escalation of military operations in Anbar and Mosul and possible flooding caused by an eventual burst of the Mosul Dam.

• Since 1 January, UNICEF has supported access to safe water for more than 101,000 IDPs across Iraq; access to improved sanitation for over 4,800 IDPs; and access to hygiene items and improved key hygiene practices for over 157,000 IDPs.

• In February, UNICEF, UNHCR and Save the Children trained 27 NGO staff on managing cases of Gender-Based Violence and early marriage.

• UNICEF’s Health and Nutrition; Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM); and Cash Assistance response under the 2016 HRP remain completely un-funded as of the end-February; UNICEF is relying on remaining 2015 carryover funding to ensure continuation of support for children under 5.

• More than 600,000 vulnerable IDP children have received warm winter clothing and shoes since October 2015 across 14 governorates of Iraq.

People in need of humanitarian assistance:

10 million people, of which 4.7 million are children and 3.3 million are internally displaced people (IDPs) Target population in 2016:
WASH: 832,000
Health: 384,000
Education: 350,000
Child Protection: 131,000
Rapid Response: 2 million
UNICEF Requirements 2016: US$ 101 million
Funds received 20161: US$ 19,028,458

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Ten million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in Iraq, of which approximately 4.7 million are children. As of 4 February, an increase was recorded in displaced populations in the governorates of Ninewa (5 percent increase; 12,114 individuals); in Salah al Din (4 percent, 7,578 individuals); and in Anbar (1 percent, 3,364 individuals). The increase is explained by the ongoing military operations affecting those locations2. UNICEF and its partners, including through the clusters developed contingency plans for humanitarian response in the case of escalation of military operations in Anbar and Mosul and possible flooding caused by an eventual burst of the Mosul Dam. Of more than 3.3 million individuals displaced in Iraq, only 10 percent currently reside in formal camps or settlements, with the majority living either with relatives or in rented accommodation. With the long-running economic downturn in Iraq affecting access to livelihood opportunities and placing additional pressure on Iraqi displaced and Syrian refugee families to meet the costs of living, an increased interest in relocation to camp environments has been reported in the first two months of 2016.