HIGHLIGHTS
USAID/FFP contributes $20 million in additional emergency food assistance to Iraq in February
Italian firm Trevi signs agreement to refurbish Mosul Dam
Insecurity in Iraq results in more than 3,100 civilian deaths and injuries countrywide since January
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
As of February 4, 2016, USG partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had recorded 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq. In the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) anticipates difficulties in continuing to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced individuals due to an ongoing financial crisis.
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) fully recaptured Anbar Governorate’s city of Ar Ramadi from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on February 9, according to U.S.-led coalition forces and the Government of Iraq (GoI). Since late December, an estimated 17,000 individuals have fled Ar Ramadi to Anbar’s Fallujah District.
Armed groups and ongoing conflict are restricting access into and out of Anbar’s city of Fallujah, preventing humanitarian organizations from providing emergency food, fuel, medical supplies, and other emergency relief items to vulnerable populations.
The UN formally launched the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Iraq on January 31, requesting approximately $860.5 million to provide 7.3 million people in Iraq with life-saving humanitarian assistance.
On February 29, the USG announced an additional $20 million in emergency food assistance to Iraq. With this new support, provided through USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP), the USG has contributed nearly $623.8 million to support humanitarian activities in Iraq since FY 2014.
In late February, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart E. Jones warned of the risk of a breach at Mosul Dam and emphasized the importance of emergency preparedness and early warning activities in the event of the dam’s failure. On March 2, the GoI signed a contract with Italian construction and energy firm Trevi to refurbish and maintain the Mosul Dam.