HIGHLIGHTS
USG announces $181 million in additional assistance for the humanitarian response to the Iraq crisis, including anticipated needs resulting from the planned Mosul offensive
More than 94,000 civilians in Ninewa and Salah ad Din governorates flee military operations ahead of the Mosul offensive
UN and relief agencies coordinate humanitarian planning efforts with the GoI and KRG
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Following the recapture of Anbar Governorate’s city of Fallujah from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants in late June, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are preparing to launch an offensive to recapture Ninewa Governorate’s city of Mosul, which has been under ISIL control since June 2014. Relief organizations, including USG partners, are planning humanitarian response activities for anticipated large-scale population displacement likely to result from the campaign to recapture the city, as well as responding to the needs of the more than 94,000 people displaced since mid-June by military operations in preparation for the offensive.
The Government of Iraq (GoI), Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), UN, and other international agencies continue to coordinate plans for humanitarian needs that will likely arise following the Mosul offensive, including identifying sites likely to host internally displaced persons (IDPs). While the UN had confirmed sites with the capacity to host more than 177,000 IDPs as of September 12, relief agencies estimate that an additional 523,000 IDPs from Mosul city may require emergency shelter support. As a result, relief actors are preparing to support alternative shelter solutions, including cash transfer programs for rent assistance and emergency shelter, as well as sealing-off kits to support the construction of temporary living spaces outside of camp settings.
On September 14, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced an additional $181 million in support for the Iraq humanitarian response from USAID/OFDA, USAID/FFP, and State/PRM, bringing total USG humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected Iraqis to nearly $1.1 billion since 2014. The new USG funding will support the operations of the UN, other international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address critical humanitarian needs, including support to pre-position emergency relief supplies ahead of the Mosul offensive.