UNICEF Iraq Humanitarian Situation Report September 2015
As of 9 September there were over 3.1 million internally displaced people (over 530,400 families) across 3,430 locations in Iraq
On 15 September, the Government of Iraq declared a cholera outbreak initially affecting the central zone near Abu Ghraib and Baghdad. As of 29 September 2015, 414 cases of cholera were laboratory-confirmed, alongside 1,534 suspected cases reported in 9 out of Iraq’s 18 governorates. Suspected cases occurred in Baghdad, Babylon, Najaf, Al Qadissiyah (Diwaniya), Muthanna, Wassit, Kerbala and Basra.
WASH and Health Cluster partners initiated the Joint Cholera Preparedness and Response Plan for affected Governorates, while continuing preparedness planning for at-risk Governorates in the north.
A formal Cholera Task Force (the ‘Cholera Control and Command Centre’) was established at the Ministry of Health (MoH) in coordination with Health and Water/Sanitation Departments in Baghdad.
Funding levels for IDP response remains a key concern for all actors.
Across Iraq an ongoing challenge in recent weeks is the lack of liquidity in various banks, which has created even more significant issues for public sector staff and other workers wishing to access their salaries. This issue has also affected UNICEF payments to implementing partners.