Iraq - IOM in Iraq is producing a series of 15 community engagement videos and radio announcements to raise awareness among displaced Iraqis on safety issues and other important concerns faced daily by vulnerable communities.  The effort is funded by European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO).

The videos are part of a wider project, under which ECHO is providing EUR 6 million to IOM Iraq to deliver non-food item kits, emergency shelter support, Camp Coordination and Camp Management services and Communications with Communities activities, to meet the basic needs of vulnerable internally displaced Iraqis across the country.

To date, IOM has developed videos and radio announcements on the topics of safe use of electricity and kerosene, and fire prevention in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.  The first video produced under this project encouraged beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance to contact the Interagency IDP Information Center and provide their feedback on assistance received.

Upcoming videos and radio announcements will cover issues related to health, waste management in IDP camps, water and electricity conservation, as well as protection concerns. The tag line of the videos is: “Live safely, so you can return home safely.” Topics are chosen through feedback received from IDPs, humanitarian organizations and government agencies.

Television, radio and social media were selected as the means of communication for these messages as they are among the most widely accessed forms of media for displaced Iraqis. The videos and radio announcements are aired on main television and radio channels in Iraq including Alsumaria TV, Baghdad TV, Al Iraqia FM and Sumer FM.

The videos are also being shared widely on social media, as many displaced Iraqis have access to the internet, especially those living outside camps. They are also used for training purposes by various organizations, including the Global CCCM Cluster, which is incorporating the videos in their standard training curriculum.

The videos and radio announcements are part of IOM Iraq’s Communications with Communities project, based on the principle that information and communications are critical forms of humanitarian assistance. 

In the spirit of effective two-way communications, to solicit feedback from IDPs and other beneficiaries, IOM Iraq will implement surveys via social media and in community sessions to assess the project's viewing rates and message impact.

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “Displaced Iraqis require a wide range of services, including non-food items, livelihoods support and healthcare – but they also need information – on safety precautions, camp management principles and means to access humanitarian assistance. We look forward to continuing our efforts to share relevant information with displaced Iraqis, in cooperation with the UN Country Team, humanitarian partners and government representatives. We appreciate ECHO’s ongoing support towards IOM’s response to the displacement crisis in Iraq.”

The videos are available on the IOM Iraq Communicating with Communities YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmU_MhNVenKAkgEshMNjf_g

For further information please contact IOM Iraq. Sandra Black, Tel. +964 751 234 2550, Email: sblack@iom.int or Naima Saeed, Email: nsaeed@iom.int