50 million euros (USD 56 million) from EU to support Iraq stabilization and reconstruction as EU Commissioner, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and UN Deputy Special Representative tour projects in Mosul

The delegation comprised European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Mr. Christos Stylianides, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Finance, in charge of the Fight against Tax Fraud, and Minister of Development Cooperation, Mr. Alexander De Croo, and Ms. Marta Ruedas, the Deputy Special Representative for Iraq of the United Nations Secretary-General and the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq.

On 19 February, the delegation called on the governor and the Provincial Council chair before touring the city, stopping at a primary school being run and rebuilt with the support of UNICEF and a WASH project run by the International Committee of the Red Cross in eastern Mosul, and a hospital supported by WHO in West Mosul, in conjunction with city authorities. Infrastructure, public services and the education system have been hard hit in the city due to the conflict, and their revival is necessary to ensure sustainable recovery and prevent any resumption of conflict, as well as to provide an opportunity for a better future for the next generation. At the Al-Sanaded primary school for girls in Mosul, the delegation met with parents and teachers, toured a sports field and an arts room. WHO is providing psychosocial support for the returnees in the city, and its programmes have been so well received that people from faraway areas were coming to seek assistance.

On 20 February, the delegation travelled to Hamam al-Alil where they toured a UNFPA-supported clinic for reproductive health, an IMC shelter for women victims of gender-based violence, co-financed by the Iraq Humanitarian Fund, and a UNICEF WASH services centre and water treatment unit.

“Daesh has been defeated on the battleground but we must continue fighting against their poisonous ideology. We must address the root causes of this conflict and respond to the basic needs of all affected Iraqis. Otherwise, me may risk winning the battle on the ground but fail in the peace, with new cycles of violence,” the EU Commissioner said, announcing that the EU will provide 30 million euros (USD 34 million) to the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan allocated for Iraq. Speaking to journalists during the tour, the Commissioner added: “The European Union will continue to support all aspects of the crisis in Iraq, supporting Iraqi authorities, and showing tangible solidarity with the Iraqi people for as long as it takes.



The Commissioner also announced that another €20 million (USD 22.5 million) in development funding will contribute to the reconstruction of the country's cultural heritage, as well as the creation of jobs and opportunities for vulnerable youth.

Despite the end of the conflict with ISIL, its consequences continue to affect Iraq, with liberated areas in need of rehabilitation of houses, infrastructure and services. 1.8 million Iraqis remain displaced while an estimated 6.6 million will continue to need some kind of humanitarian assistance in 2019, with over half of those in Ninewa Governorate alone. In addition, Iraq hosts 250,000 Syrian refugees, mostly in the Kurdistan Region. It is estimated that 5.5 million people need health support and 2.6 million children need access to education. Education is integrated into broader assistance, to cover children’s physical and mental health, psychosocial support and protection aid.

Deputy UN Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator Ruedas said: “We have already supported a lot of the reconstruction of the health infrastructure, not just in east Mosul but also in west Mosul. With regard to the return of the displaced population, if they cannot return to their places of origin then some solutions have to be found to make sure that they are able to find their way to normal life outside of the camps. We in the UN will be working with the institutions of the government to make that happen.”

For more information, please contact: Georgios Petropoulos, Deputy Head of Office – Baghdad, Iraq

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Iraq

Mobile: +964 782 780 6733| E-mail: Petropoulos@un.org