International Rescue Committee UK

UK Government must do more to support the Iraqi people

5 March 2010

The UK Government must do more to meet the ongoing acute needs of the most vulnerable people, uphold human rights and support recovery in Iraq, say a group of eight humanitarian and development organisations ahead of the appearance by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander before the Iraq Inquiry today.

Eight years on, Iraqi people continue to bear the brunt of the conflict in terms of casualties, displacement, destroyed livelihoods, and restricted access to adequate services. Millions are still displaced in Iraq and throughout the region. Humanitarian needs remain acute in many areas and those suffering most are, inevitably, Iraq's most vulnerable people – such as children, women and people with disabilities. There is a general lack of access to drinkable water; adequate sanitation; electricity; shelter; food and most basic goods and services – such as healthcare and education. One million people are still food insecure and 6.4 million remain dependent on the food rations of a Public Distribution System, which struggles to reach those most in need. Unemployment remains at very high levels, and almost 7 million people still live below the poverty line.

Yet the UK government's attention and support for aid and development in Iraq is waning. The Department for International Development (DFID) is halving its budget for aid and development for Iraq next financial year and it has not developed yet any proper multi-annual strategy for Iraq.

While there has been some improvement in the humanitarian and security situation in Iraq over the past two years, these gains remain fragile and reversible. With the withdrawal of foreign troops already underway and a new Iraqi government soon to be elected, the country is entering a delicate phase of transition. The Government of Iraq does not yet have the capacity to effectively respond to the population's needs, needs that will continue, if not increase, during this period of transition. While the UN and international donors continue to support the development of that capacity, they should continue to assist those people who continue to suffer in the meantime.

The organisations also highlighted the need for donors to support the development not just of government capacity but of civil society inside Iraq.

"The UK government should increase its support and improve aid effectiveness by ensuring more direct participation of the Iraqi people in the recovery processes," says Valerie Ceccherini, Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor of Mercy Corps. "Investment in reinforcing and protecting Iraqi civil society has been woefully lacking, as donors focuses almost exclusively on security issues, government capacity building and large infrastructure programmes."

"While we agree that it is necessary to continue building the capacity of the Government of Iraq, we also think that it is equally important to work at the grassroots level and to ensure a bottom-up process, and sense of ownership. We believe that this can only be done by protecting, supporting and reinforcing the civil society, which holds the government accountable and ensures more transparency," says Fyras Mawazini, Executive Coordinator of the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq.

"In the long run we'd all like to see the Iraqi government able to meet the needs of all it's people, as well as a thriving national civil society” says Aidan Goldsmith, Iraq Country Director of the International Rescue Committee, "but we're not there yet. For now, the most vulnerable in Iraq still desperately need our support."

The Iraq Inquiry, say the organisations, presents a critical opportunity for the UK government to acknowledge the scale of the humanitarian and development needs in Iraq, and develop a long term comprehensive strategy to respond effectively to those needs and promote Iraqi people's rights.

--ENDS--

For more information contact:

Ross Hornsey, Communications Manager, Mercy Corps:
0131 662 5164 / 07917 532 054 / r.hornsey@uk.mercycorps.org

Notes to Editors

List of supporting organisations

• Christian Aid
• Handicap International
• International Medical Corps UK
• International Rescue Committee UK
• Mercy Corps
• Muslim Hands
• NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq (the NCCI represents about 14 national and 37 international NGOs working in Iraq)
• War Child UK

Additional information

Since 2003, the UK Department for International Development (DFID/UKAid has committed £180 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq, but DFID has not provided any direct grant to British NGOs to implement humanitarian and development programmes in Iraq. Most of the funds provided for humanitarian aid and development have been channelled through the UN and the World Bank (some have also been allocated to ICRC). Yet, providing direct support to NGOs will enable greater flexibility in a difficult and fast-changing context such as the one that still prevails in Iraq, allowing NGOs to operate independently. Besides, the UN presence and capacity in Iraq is still very limited, while NGOs are operating on the ground with Iraqi partners throughout the country.

DFID has not developed any multi-annual country strategy for Iraq –like it has done for Afghanistan, and other countries in crisis - and its budget for aid and development in the country, which was already insufficient (£20 m for 2009-10), has been halved for 2010-11. Finally it is also a troubling deviation from DFID's focus on fragile states, as outlined in its white paper.