HIGHLIGHTS
USG announces $56 million in additional humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected Iraqis
GoI declares cholera outbreak, confirms 414 confirmed cases as of late September
Funding shortages continue to constrain Iraq crisis response activities
Armed actors hinder conflict-affected households from fleeing to safe areas, raising protection concerns
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
On September 30, the USG announced more than $56 million in additional humanitarian funding to assist people affected by the complex emergency in Iraq, including more than $28 million to USAID/OFDA, more than $25 million to State/PRM, and $2.5 million to USAID/FFP. The newly announced funding will support UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide critical, life-saving assistance, including relief commodities, medical care, water and sanitation services, and psychosocial support, to the nearly 3.2 million people displaced inside Iraq and 370,000 Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries.
The Government of Iraq (GoI) Ministry of Health (MoH) declared a cholera outbreak in mid-September, following the confirmation of cholera cases originating in Baghdad and Qadisiyah governorates in mid-September. As of September 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 414 cholera cases confirmed in GoI laboratories and more than 1,700 suspected cases. In response, the GoI and its partners are coordinating outbreak control activities, including efforts to increase the availability of safe drinking water, improve hygiene conditions, and raise community awareness of sanitary practices.
Funding shortfalls remain a significant constraint for the humanitarian response in Iraq. To date, the 2015 Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP)—an appeal that outlines priority assistance needs in Iraq between July and December 2015—has received only 40 percent of $498 million in funding requirements.