USAID OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) Harmonized Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance for Vulnerable Conflict-Affected HHs Semi-Annual Report: Submitted April 30, 2019 Implementing Organization: Mercy Corps [lead agency, Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI)] Iraq Donor: Office of United States Foreign Disaster Assistance, Office of Food for Peace Project Reference: 720FDA18GR00301 Budget: $13,250,000 Grant period: August 1, 2018 – May 31, 2019 Reporting period: August 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019 Contact information: District level areas of intervention Sinjar district, Ninewa governorate Mosul district, Ninewa governorate Telafar district, Ninewa governorate Shirqat district, Salah al-Din governorate Baiji district, Salah al-Din governorate Tikrit district, Salah al-Din governorate Balad district, Salah al-Din governorate Kirkuk district center, Kirkuk governorate Ramadi district, Anbar governorate Fallujah district, Anbar governorate Ana district, Anbar governorate Ru’ua district, Anbar governorate Al-Qa’im district, Anbar governorate Fallujah district, Anbar governorate I. Summary of overall achievements During the reporting period, the Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) partners (International Rescue Committee, Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam and Mercy Corps, as lead agency) worked together to reach 6,874 unique HHs (approximately 41,244 individuals) across conflict-affected areas of Ninewa, Salah al-Din, Anbar and Kirkuk governorates (Annex 1) utilizing multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) as an effective emergency response modality. A total of 18,681 transfers have been delivered and this cash assistance totaled $7,472,400 distributed in cash directly to vulnerable HHs to enable them to meet their critical basic needs. Throughout the reporting period, CCI Post- Distribution Monitoring (PDM) data showed that 99.9% of cash recipients were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the service. In addition, the data showed that cash remained HHs’ preferred assistance modality in 99.9% of cases. Finally, 81% of HHs receiving the one-off transfer and 79% of HHs receiving multi-month assistance reduced their use of negative coping strategies. The review of the CCI’s vulnerability model was undertaken during the reporting period, after being initiated in April 2018 and partnering with REACH Iraq on data collection in July - August 2018. The final models were presented to the CCI Steering Committee and to the Cash Working Group (CWG) Targeting and Vulnerability Task Force in November 2018, then the full CWG in mid-November 2018. It received full endorsement by the CWG and assessment pilots began in February 2019. Drawing upon the CCI’s wider portfolio, the CCI continues to promote shared learning across its awards. The CCI’s DFID funded Value for Money (VfM) study was finalized and presented to DIFD in December 2018 (Annex 2), after starting with initial cost analysis in February 2018 and again in August 2018, followed by two months of results validation and report drafting. The report was presented to other donors and stakeholders and other interested parties in Iraq in March 2019. This research provides the CCI with a better understanding of what its programming costs, and what aspects of its programming contribute to better overall effectiveness, such as the targeting methodology and linkages to other forms of assistance. The CCI continued to promote a comprehensive community-based approach to interventions and increased access to relevant support to meet different needs. In December, four CCI partners provided 7,449 referrals to enable UNHCR to deliver winterization cash assistance to vulnerable HHs. Most of these HHs were located in OFDA/FFP governorates of intervention, including Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Anbar. II. Context a. Context/Needs Analysis: Please provide a local-level update on the context where you are responding for OFDA-FFP. Why are you responding in the abovementioned locations? What are the needs? The context of Iraq is slowly shifting from being an emergency to that of recovery. However, needs still remain high in most areas of return, and unless vulnerable HHs are able to meet their critical basic needs then efforts to promote recovery will be undermined, incomplete, and characterized by drastically unequal access to assistance. Since the Iraqi Security Forces have retaken previous Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) controlled areas, displaced families have been going back to their areas of origin. In certain instances, returning to their areas of origin has been a big challenge due to a number of factors, among them, lack of social services, mistrust between communities and Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) tasked with the provision of security in some locations, contamination of residential areas with remnants of war, and destroyed houses. Ninewa According to International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s displacement tracking matrix (updated February 28, 2019), Mosul and Telafar are among the four districts that received the largest number of returnees. Telafar district in Ninewa governorate has received 54,741 returnee families (328,446 individuals) and Mosul district has received 161,881 families (971,286 individuals). Compared to 2018, the returns in these areas had significantly reduced by the end of this reporting period, mainly due to lack of basic services in return areas, infrastructural damage, especially shelters, lack of employment opportunities and relatively better living conditions in camps. More than 1 million people from Ninewa governorate remain in displacement status. MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 2 In Mosul district, the needs among the existing population remain high. HHs lack livelihoods opportunities and still inhabit damaged shelters. Companies that used to offer employment to the local population were destroyed by ISIS and subsequently by the fighting that ensued. In addition, the prevalence of unexploded ordnances (UXO), as well as damaged infrastructure, remain an issue both inside West Mosul and in the surrounding areas. Security in West Mosul has been a significant concern for HHs living in the area, as well as for INGOs working in the city, especially during the second half of this reporting period. A car bomb explosion on November 8, 2018 near Abu Layla restaurant, as well as a vehicle-borne explosive device detonating on a car travelling between Mosul and Rabia a week later, left many INGOs on high alert. In February 2019, a number of Iraqi Air Force (IAF) airstrikes targeting areas around Mosul in which ISIS militants were suspected to be operating were reported, as well as an IED explosion in Telafar which resulted in fatalities. As security concerns remained high throughout the reporting period, populations in Ninewa governorate feel vulnerable when conducting day-to-day activities. Although the number of displaced families in Ninewa governorate still remains very high at 91,112 HHs (546,672 individuals), the overall number of displaced families decreased during the reporting period by approximately 8.5%. In Sinjar district, however, there was a slight increase of roughly 3.5% during the same time period (3,937 IDP families as of August 31, 2018; 4,076 IDP families as of February 28, 2019). In October and November 2018, Sinjar district received over 100 IDP families following camp closures in Erbil governorate and other parts of Iraq. These families were originally from villages surrounding Sinjar town but were displaced into Sinjar town because their farmland and houses were still contaminated with UXO and remnants of war, which are yet to be cleared by authorities. Salah al-Din In the areas of intervention in Salah al-Din governorate, the humanitarian situation has remained stable with the returns process ongoing. The slower rate of return observed in late 2018 and early 2019 was mainly attributed to lack-of or destroyed houses and public infrastructures in addition to the sectarian issues and isolated security incidents. In addition to the returns, two events in Salah al-Din during the reporting period – flooding and camp closures – increased the numbers of displaced families. In November 2018, Iraq experienced torrential rain in Salah al-Din and Ninewa governorates, leading to the displacement of several thousands of people, destroying homes and property. Apart from the flooding, government camp management reported 100 families left the Qadissya Complex in Tikrit district following eviction threats on September 16, 2018. Furthermore, when Al Alam Camp 3 (also in Tikrit) closed in November 2018, this triggered secondary displacements within and outside Salah al-Din. For example, some IDP families from Al Alam camp were displaced to Kirkuk district center while others lived in host communities. Secondary displacement complicated the situation for IDPs and caused multiple needs. In Baiji district, militia groups controlling the area began to allow more families to return to their areas of origin. By March 2019, areas in Baiji, particularly the sub-district of Al Siniah, had received at least 200 returnee families. Continuing threats of camp closure or forced consolidation by local authorities threaten to increase secondary displacement or forced returns in the district. Even for those who have returned to Baiji, the needs remain high due to destroyed houses and lack of livelihoods opportunities. Anbar: During this reporting period, there