About the crisis

The humanitarian crisis in Iraq is one of the most acute in the world. Some 3.2 million people have been displaced as a result of conflict-related violence since 2014. Late 2017 saw the Iraqi military declare ‘victory’ over Islamic State forces – but military offensives such as the one to free Mosul also saw hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee their homes.

Inside Iraq houses, roads and infrastructure have all been destroyed or damaged. There is no employment, no clean drinking water and little protection and medical care. Those people who have not left the country – or who have returned to their homes in the interim – remain in urgent need of assistance. UN figures for 2018 show that some 8.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The Dutch Relief Alliance Response

The DRA Joint Response in Iraq is designed to provide assistance to displaced families, host communities and returnees. The organisations participating in the response have worked together inside Iraq since 2015. The latest phase of the response will see the organisations expand their aid in central and western parts of the country – reaching more than 42,000 people.

2018 will see the DRA present in the provinces of Anbar, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salahaddin. Men, women and children exposed to the effects of conflict will be able to access psychosocial support and mental health support. WASH interventions will serve to improve health and hygiene conditions. Cash grants are issued to allow people to meet their basic needs – such as buying food or clothes, paying rent or repairing their homes.