Returns and Recovery

As Iraq rebuilds after years of devastating conflict, support is needed to meet the challenges of residual insecurity, damage to properties and public infrastructure, insufficient access to services, and limited livelihood opportunities. For those remaining in protracted displacement, assistance is still critical to support safe, dignified living conditions,

IOM Iraq supports internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities by implementing a holistic community recovery and stabilization approach that includes support for community infrastructure; economic recovery and livelihood assistance; civil society capacity building in effective engagement of communities and stakeholders; and the sustainable economic and social inclusion of returnees and vulnerable groups such as youth, women and minorities.

Infrastructure and Shelter Rehabilitation

Years of conflict have left Iraq with enormous damage to homes and public infrastructure, presenting a major barrier to return for the displaced. In line with the priorities of communities and their local and provincial authorities, IOM Iraq implements projects aimed at clearing debris, rebuilding returnee and host community shelters and rehabilitating irrigation and agricultural infrastructure, water plants, electrical networks, schools, markets and hospitals. Projects seek to engage community members at every stage of the planning process and utilize existing community resources.

Economic Recovery and Livelihood Assistance

With the aim of promoting sustainable, long-term employment, IOM Iraq works to fill a critical gap in access to finance through the Enterprise Development Fund (EDF), an initiative that supports small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with financial capital to start or expand their businesses. Medium- and short-term employment opportunities are bolstered through individual livelihoods assistance (ILA), which aims to enhance the employable skills of the population and create jobs through micro-enterprises. IOM also works closely with Iraqi authorities to support the short-term employment of vulnerable people through the provision of Cash for Work (CfW).

Community Resource Centres

IOM operates Community Resource Centres (CRCs) across Iraq, which serve as walk-in and virtual coordination, information and referral hubs where all community members — including IDPs, returnees and host community members — can learn about and access available services. Core CRC activities include awareness raising and information dissemination, legal counselling and representation, informal education initiatives, livelihood, capacity- and skill-building opportunities and referral provision for protection, mental health and psychosocial support services. In addition to linking humanitarian and recovery activities, CRCs support recovery and stabilization approaches that provide sustainable, long-term, community-based solutions.

Sustainability and Durable Solutions

In partnership with the Government of Iraq (GoI), IOM pursues a multifaceted approach to safe, dignified, sustainable returns and reintegration of returnees, including: return information registration, go-and-see visits for prospective returnees to see first-hand the conditions of their areas of origin before deciding to return or not, transportation from camps to returnees’ areas of origin, return assistance packages of cash and non-food items (NFIs), rehabilitation of both returnee and host community shelters and livelihood support.

IOM Iraq co-leads the Durable Solutions Task Force (DSTF), which was created to support policy development, ensure coherence in programming and coordinate with donors and the GoI at strategic and technical levels related to durable solutions. As part of this process, DSTF supports the development of a national durable solutions strategy led by the Ministry of Planning, with significant inputs from the Ministry of Migration and Displacement and other ministries.