The United Nations and partners’ Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2022, which aims to assist nearly one million vulnerable Iraqis with life-saving aid, released

“The Government of Iraq values its collaboration with the United Nations in all areas, including the humanitarian sphere,” said H.E. Dr. Abdullah. “The continued commitment of humanitarian actors to serve the most vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees is welcomed.”

“Five years after the conclusion of large-scale military operations against ISIL, the humanitarian situation in Iraq has improved considerably,” said Ms. Vojáčková-Sollorano. “However, a significant number of Iraqis still require humanitarian assistance. The 2022 HRP will help us meet their immediate needs, while we partner with the Government to implement durable solutions for those in protracted displacement and work towards a gradual handover of service delivery to the Government by 2023.”

The 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) found that 2.5 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assistance, down from 4 million assessed as in need the previous year. This reduction is not a reflection of a considerably improved situation for affected populations, but rather a change in methodology in order to ensure the most vulnerable are prioritized. On the ground, the situation for IDPs and returnees actually remains broadly the same as compared to 2021. Many Iraqis currently and formerly internally displaced by the conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continue to face a range of issues that prevent them from fully recovering, regaining self-sufficiency, and achieving long-term stability.

In 2022, humanitarian assistance will be prioritized for those with deep and compound needs that require life-saving aid. Special focus will be given to those who live in critical emergency shelter, who lost their civil documentation during the crisis, or for whom access to essential services or livelihoods opportunities remains compromised due to the large-scale destruction and displacement that took place between 2014-17. However, as the underlying causes of these challenges – such as lack of social cohesion, high levels of poverty, and inadequate social services in areas of origin – are better assisted through longer-term engagement and investments by the government and development actors, the international humanitarian community will also undertake a program of transition in 2022, seeking to handover most direct service provision to the Government and development actors by 2023.

The Humanitarian Response Plan for 2022 comes on the heels of the successful delivery of humanitarian assistance to approximately 1.2 million Iraqis in 2021, thanks to the efforts of partners and the generosity of donors in providing $600 million in humanitarian financial contributions, of which $381 million went to the UN and partners’ 2021 HRP.