OCHA : Aid agencies worried by lack of humanitarian funding for Iraq and its consequences for the Iraqi people

Aid agencies worried by lack of humanitarian funding for Iraq and its consequences for the Iraqi people
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)



July 20, 2010

Six months after launching the 2010 Iraq Humanitarian Action Plan (IHAP), many of Iraq's humanitarian needs remain unaddressed and the lack of donor funding towards the IHAP means that much needed UN and NGO assistance has been unable to reach vulnerable Iraqis.

During last week's launch of the IHAP Mid Year Review in Geneva, it was revealed that only 12 percent of new funding has been received from donors to Iraq. This lack of funding (only $22.3 million received out of the $187.7 million required) has real consequences for the most vulnerable within the Iraqi population.

"Food distributions to 800,000 pregnant and nursing women and malnourished children have had to be suspended," said WFP's Representative for Iraq, Edward Kallon. "Food distribution to 960,000 school-going children has also been suspended."

The livelihoods of 500,000 drought affected people in Suleymaniyah and Dahuk governorates are threatened and some have started to become displaced.

The plan to support 22,500 vulnerable IDP families with emergency shelter provision compliant with Sphere standards will now have to be suspended. Thousands of households will therefore be left to continue living in desperate shelter conditions, unable to be protected from often severe climatic conditions and vulnerable to sickness through inadequate water and sanitation provision.

At the beginning of 2010, eight UN agencies, seven NGOs and IOM developed the Iraq Humanitarian Action Plan (IHAP) to address the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable people in Iraq.

"We appeal to donors not to give up on their commitment to the Iraqi people and to help pave the way for Iraq's future development," urged Christine McNab, Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq.

To view the full Mid Year Review of the Iraq Humanitarian Action Plan 2010, please visit:

http://ochadms.unog.ch/cap-exchange.nsf/0/D25ABB87C7214CB0C1
257762005A8F18/$FILE/IRAQ%20HAP_MYR_2010.doc ...


For further information, please call:

Richard Guerra, OCHA-Iraq, +962 6 553 4971 Ext. 1332, mobile +962 79 770 60 11, guerrar@un.org ;

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org
or www.reliefweb.int.