Iraq – As the winter temperatures continue to drop in Iraq and nearly 2.9 million people are still living in displacement across the country, the Government of Germany has extended its partnership with IOM Iraq by injecting another 7 million euros to address the urgent humanitarian needs of those who remain internally displaced.

With these additional 7 million euros, the total contribution of Germany to IOM Iraq’s emergency operations reaches 18 million euros from 2015 through 2019. Since 2015, Germany’s support has enabled IOM to respond to critical humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), especially in areas such as Mosul, Fallujah, and Ramadi, which had recently been retaken from ISIL.

The funding also supports the rehabilitation of residential areas ravaged by conflict and help returnees upon their arrival to settle in their areas of origin.  Many of these beneficiaries still face urgent needs for shelter and access to basic services, including water, electricity and health care.

“The German Government is very happy to support returnees in areas of return and strengthen government authorities in their efforts to restore essential services in the most affected areas of return,” said the German Ambassador in Iraq, Cyrill Nunn. “Our scaled-up support includes restoring the electricity grid and water supply in retaken areas, as these services have been heavily damaged and are prioritized for immediate rehabilitation by host communities and returnees,” the German Ambassador added.  

The German funding will enable IOM Iraq to include 1,200 vulnerable displaced families in its essential winter assistance programme, supporting them with emergency kits to cope with winter conditions. Each emergency kit includes a carpet, plastic mat, thick blankets, rechargeable light, and a hygiene kit.

“With the winter setting in, we really need this heater, blankets and winter clothes,” said Abu Mashari, a displaced man from Hatra district, around 170 kilometres south of Mosul, pointing to the winter kit he received from IOM.

“We left all our belongings behind in the middle of the night, as we were in hurry to leave our home. We didn’t bring anything other than what we were wearing in the beginning of summer,” he added. “We don’t have enough money to buy clothes and other items to warm ourselves and our tent during the cold nights.”

The additional financial support also allows the population of the two emergency sites constructed by IOM, in Haj Ali and Qayara, southeast of Mosul which, combined, currently shelter more than 73,000 IDPs, to access medical services and receive quick support and referral in case of medical emergencies.

IOM has mental health and psychosocial centres in selected IDP camps to reach out to the IDP community through mental health and psychosocial assistance, raising awareness on mental health issues and specialized care when needed.

For more information, please contact Sandra Black in IOM Iraq, Tel: +964 751 234 2550, Email: sblack@iom.int