Iraq: Humanitarian Crisis Situation Report No. 55 (29 July – 4 August 2015)

This report is produced by OCHA Iraq in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 29 July – 4 August. Due to the rapidly changing situation, it is possible that the numbers and locations listed in this report may no longer be accurate. The next report will be issued on or around 14 August. Highlights

 Humanitarian access remains limited in Anbar governorate amidst ongoing military operations.

 Emergency response continues in accessible areas, including to people who fled towards Bzeibiz bridge and Ameriyat al-Falluja camps.

 People in Habbaniyah Tourist City in Anbar need improved access to safe water.

 To date, 20 per cent of the funding needed under the Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan for 2015 has been received.

Location map. The boundaries and names shown and the design- ations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. 8.6 m 5.6 m 3.1 m 2.9 m 3.2 m 0.25 m people in need targeted for internally displaced displaced people affected people in Syrian refugees assistance people live outside camps host communities

Situation Overview

Weeks of military operations along the Ramadi-Al Ameriyat corridor in Anbar governorate, including airstrikes and ground fighting, continue to put people at risk. Conditions are reportedly worst in Falluja and Ramadi, where there have been reports of heavy shelling and bombing affecting civilians, with unconfirmed reports of casualties. Humanitarian access remains challenging, both for humanitarian actors to reach people who are affected by the current crisis and for people to safely access humanitarian assistance and services. Access routes for displaced people in Anbar are limited and many exit routes from Ramadi and Falluja are reportedly blocked or closed.

Some of those who have been able to flee the conflict area have arrived at Bzeibiz bridge to cross over to Baghdad governorate. However, access across the bridge has remained partial and intermittent. The number of people at the Bzeibiz bridge and in close proximity has fluctuated, but is estimated to be in the lower thousands.

When people cannot cross the Euphrates river, they are reportedly moving to camp sites in the Ameriyat al-Falluja area. Humanitarian assistance, including water, shelter and ready-to-eat food, has been provided to people in proximity of the bridge and in camp sites in Ameriyat al-Falluja. To accommodate the displaced people in the area, humanitarian partners have begun work to establish a new camp near the bridge on the Anbar side, with a capacity for 3,000 people.

+ For more information, see “background on the crisis” at the end of the report

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On 3 August, an inter-agency mission visited Habbaniyah Tourist City in Anbar. Preliminary findings show that while the situation of the 26,100 displaced people has improved in terms of health and increased water pumping, it is still sub-standard. The main water project treatment plant is pumping water without filtration and chlorination. Military forces are also taking water from the water treatment plant on a daily basis. Some displaced people report- ed paying for untreated water, which had been pumped from Habbaniyah Lake to compensate for the insufficient water received. Diarrhoea and skin diseases affecting both children and adults were reported. Water, sanitation and hygiene and health partners are following up on the findings to address the issues raised during the mission.

Airstrikes against alleged Kurdistan Workers Party positions in Dahuk and Erbil governorates that started on 24 July have continued at least until 1 August. Authorities have reported civilian casualties as a result of the airstrikes. Efforts are underway by authorities to ensure there is a mechanism for addressing claims for compensation and deal with eventual compensation to farmers who have lost animals or crops to the strikes or the fires started by them.

Early August marked one year after the attacks on Sinjar district in north-western Iraq. The vast majority of the more than 400,000 people displaced by attacks remain displaced, primarily in Dahuk and Ninewa governorates. Nearly three-quarters of them are living in unfinished buildings or in camps for internally displaced people built by the Government, the UN and partners since last summer. Displaced families have been supported with food assistance, health care services, clean water, and support to attend school over the past year. Funding

On 4 June, a revised and prioritized Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan seeking US$498 million was launched to provide life-saving assistance and protection to 5.6 million people in need, a portion of all those in need of assistance, for the reminder of the year. Although some support is coming in it has not been sufficient to meet the needs. Due to the funding shortfall, partners have been forced to cut food rations for people living outside camps. Health programmes across the country are being scaled back and education services remain inadequate.

Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan 2015 Funding by sector (in million US$)

US$498 million requested Funded Unmet % Covered Food Security 180 14% Funded Shelter/NFI 95 13% 20% Health 60 7% Protection 54 65% WASH 44 29% Education 26 6% RRM 12 0% Social Cohesion 10 0% Coordination 7 24% Unmet 119% 80% CASH 5 CCCM 3 0% Logistics 2 120%

ETC 1 31%

Funding figures are as of 31 July 2015. The recent allocation of $22.7 million to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund is not yet included in the figures above. All humanitarian partners, including donors and recipient agencies, are encouraged to inform OCHA's Financial Tracking Service (FTS - http://fts.unocha.org) of cash and in-kind contributions by e-mailing: [email protected] Humanitarian Response

Protection Needs:  Displacement within Anbar reportedly slowed over the past week, partly due to restrictions on movement by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), but also due to the current heat wave and long routes.  Returns continue in Salah al-Din governorate, mostly to Tikrit, where the security situation remains fluid.

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Response:  Protection assessments have been conducted covering 8,000 displaced people in southern and central Iraq. Protection teams registered 207 cases for legal assistance and 548 vulnerable cases were referred to agencies for material assistance.  Two gender-based violence safety audits, assessments of physical environment to determine real and perceived safety issues for women and girls, were done in Salah al-Din and Ameriyat al Falluja.  16 women received psychosocial services and 18 women were provided with legal and psychosocial services in Baghdad.  10 women were trained as peer educators in Khanaqin and were mobilized to coach females who are displaced on how to assess their basic needs and provide them with psychosocial support.  Six cases of grave violations against children were identified and referred for services and follow up by child protection staff.  In Dahuk governorate, eight awareness sessions focusing on child marriage, child labour and children's health were conducted with 33 parents.  Child protection cases identified and referred through the "116" child helpline are monitored. The helpline is a phone service run by Kurdistan authorities and provides information and referral services for children. Gaps and constraints:  Access remains the major challenge in Anbar governorate due to closure of main checkpoints out of Anbar (including the border crossing with Syria), an unstable security situation along the main routes, and restrictions reportedly imposed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant for families wanting to leave the areas.  The Zirguez and Bajinza collective centres in Sulaymaniyah require urgent service mapping so that vulnerable people can find shelter, as the Arbat and Ashti camps are filled to capacity.  Child protection activities remain underfunded. Without additional funds, at least 70 per cent of child protection activities risk ending, including psycho-social support, case management and referral to specialized services.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Needs:  Sufficient and safe water to nearly 26,000 displaced people in Al Madina al Siyahiya in Habbaniyah Tourist City in Anbar remains a key priority following withdrawal of water trucking services by some local actors due to limited trucking services and the need to divert water trucking to other locations in need.  Two water treatment units and water networks need to be rehabilitated in Al Khaldeya in Ramadi district in Anbar governorate to meet the water supply needs of displaced people and host communities.  About 1,800 people who have returned to Sadiya in Khalis district and to al Aali village in Muqdadiya district in Diyala governorate require water supply, sanitation facilities and hygiene items.  About 530 displaced people in Kufa, and those living along the road to Kerbala, and in Al-Makramah quarter in Najaf city in Najaf governorate, require water, sanitation facilities and hygiene items. Response:  About 148,750 displaced people were reached with water supply; 118,400 with sanitation; and 8,150 with hygiene items and promotion in Anbar, Baghdad, Basrah, Dahuk, Najaf, and Salah Al-Din governorates over the course of the week.  About 30,000 displaced people were provided with water purification materials in Habbaniyah Tourist City in Anbar. Desludging of waste water and collection of solid waste benefitted 2,400 displaced people. Additional daily water trucking has been initiated to cover part of the water shortages, while one water treatment unit has been dispatched to address gaps in safe water.  32 latrines and showers and four water tanks with a capacity of 5,000 litres each are being installed in Al-Amel Al-Manshood II camp in Falluja district in Anbar. This is in addition to the response done in phase one in the camp, which consisted of four water tanks, 16 latrines and 16 showers.  21,300 displaced people were reached with water trucking in Habbaniyah, Ramadi and Nukhayb in Anbar.  In Baghdad governorate, about 1,300 displaced people in Albu Salih camp in Mahmoudiya district will get access to a 5,000 litre water tank. Two tanks are being installed in Albo Nemer camp to serve 450 people. In addition, eight mobile latrines, showers and a water tank is being installed in Khaimt AlIraq camp for 650 people and two water tanks in Al-Rasheed caravan camp for 990 people.  Also in Baghdad governorate, waste water desludging and solid waste collection was done in Al Takia Al Kasnazaniya collection centre in Karkh, in support of about 6,300 displaced people.

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 200 hygiene kits, including sanitary napkins, soap and laundry detergent, were distributed to 858 displaced people in Shatt Al-Arab district in Basrah governorate.  Collection and transportation of solid waste is underway in Bajet Kandala 1 and 2 (Sumel district), Chamishku, Bersive 1 and 2 camps (Zakho district) for 46,035 people through the Governorate of Dahuk.  In Najaf governorate, 50 water tanks with a capacity of 5,000 litres each have been completed along the main road between Kerbala and Najaf benefitting 10,000 displaced people. The work to install a water treatment unit and water network continues.  Distribution of WASH supplies (soap bars, water containers, toilet jugs, garbage bags, hygiene kits and cool boxes) has been initiated for 3,000 people who returned to Degla sub district, Samarra district in Salah al-Din. Gaps and constraints:  The fluid security situation with fresh displacement and curtailed humanitarian access hampers the ability to reach people in need with life-saving WASH support, especially in southern and central areas.  Across the country, the extreme heat continues to make the WASH situation critical, putting pressure on already limited drinking water supplies.

Shelter and Non-Food Items Needs:  High temperature resistant shelters (shelters as opposed to tents) for 1,200 displaced people from Anbar and Salah al-Din governorates who have been stranded at Bzeibiz bridge.  Immediate relocation is required for about 2,300 displaced people staying in the former Habbaniyah Tourist City hotel in Anbar to a habitable location while preventing further occupation of the overcrowded building, which has problems with the sewage system. Response:  3,600 displaced people received household items for the summer in Falluja district in Anbar governorate.  3,600 displaced people in Fares and Balad districts in Salah al-Din governorate, received household items for the summer.  1,020 displaced people received household items for the summer in Tilkaif district in Ninewa governorate.  Cluster partners completed rehabilitations works on 74 collectives centres (religious buildings) sheltering 1,700 displaced people In Na'maniya district in Wassit governorate.  Close to 2,000 displaced people living in tents in a formal settlement in Mahmoudiya district in Baghdad governorate received tents upgrade support improving their shelter conditions through provision of a concrete slab and some concrete blockwork. Gaps and constraints:  Electricity and water shortage are the main gaps in many sites where displaced people reside in Habbaniyah and Ameriyat al Falluja, based on reports from partners working on the ground and field missions.

Health Needs:  Essential primary and secondary health care services for displaced people, refugees and host and non-host affected communities.  Supporting fixed health facilities and deployment of mobile teams in areas of emerging conflicts and for displaced people wo do not live in camps, including in Ninawa, Anbar and Kirkuk governorates.  Early detection and investigation of disease alerts and timely response to outbreaks is essential. Response:  19,963 health consultations were done between 25 and 31 July.  1,929 births were assisted by a skilled attendant and 534 caesarean sections were performed in areas where many displaced people reside.  Specialized services including treatment and medication for chronic disease, including mental health and psychosocial support to displaced and conflict-affected people. In week 31, 5,733 cases were served, including 1,962 hospitalized.

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 Health partners are supporting in hiring 64 health staff for the four refugee camps in Erbil governorate. Of these, 17 health staff are located Darashakran and Qushtapa respectively, 16 in Basirma and 14 in Kawergosk. Gaps and constraints:  Health services in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are overburdened by the high number of displaced people in the region.  Hard-to-reach areas remain a concern particularly for health with limited capacities left within the local health services delivery system and few partners are available on ground  Over 80 per cent of programmes providing much needed support to health facilities in areas of high concentration of internally displaced people have been suspended due to lack of funding. The funding shortfall impacts service delivery across the country.

Food Security Needs:  At least 4.4 million people are estimated to need food assistance. Food partners aim to reach up to 2.2 million affected people under the 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan.  Preliminary results show that 22 per cent of households interviewed in a REACH needs assessment of displaced people residing in host communities said they were not able to meet their basic needs. In all, 5,225 households (about 31,350 people) were interviewed in 14 accessible governorates.  Of this, food (74 per cent) and shelter (61 per cent) were the two most unfulfilled needs amongst households unable to afford their basic needs across Iraq.  Food was most reported as a priority need in Diyala (94 per cent) and Sulaymaniyah (89 per cent). 65 per cent of households in Erbil listed food as a priority need. Response:  On 29 July, ready-to-eat food for three days was distributed to about 500 people fleeing the ongoing violence in Anbar governorate. The families were located at Bzeibiz bridge, which links Anbar and Baghdad governorates some 30 km south-west of Baghdad.  In-camp distributions for about 250,000 people have been completed. People living in camps, where they have fewer job opportunities, continue to receive full rations that cover 80 per cent of food needs.  About 1.1 million people (220,000 families) living with host communities received reduced food rations.  Voucher distributions for July are ongoing, with about 410,000 people out of a planned 482,941 (85 per cent) having received their voucher thus far. Distributions will be completed around 4 August.  In July, over 50,000 displaced people on the move received ready-to-eat food for three days through the rapid response mechanism.  On 30 July, food parcels were distributed to about 4,800 people in Kerbala governorate.  On 2 and 3 August, food parcels were distributed to 2,770 people in Babel governorate. Gaps and constraints:  The current funding shortfall is putting the emergency response at risk. Food partners would be forced to make further cuts in its food assistance if additional funds are not received. This could include a complete cut in food assistance to some beneficiary groups and/or a scaling back of geographical coverage.  Under the current resourcing scenario and despite cost cutting measures, the World Food Programme would be forced to stop providing food vouchers for about 450,000 people at the end of September. It would also run out of monthly food rations for a further 1.6 million people at the beginning of October.

Education Needs:  About 3.2 million school aged children do not have access to quality education as a result of the crisis.  Over 1 million of these children are displaced school aged girls and boys. About 70 per cent of the displaced children have lost almost a full year of education. In camps, only 50 per cent of children currently have access to education. In host communities (where most displaced people live), the situation is worse, with only 30 per cent receiving any type of education.  Where available, most schools are full, overcrowded and cannot accommodate all displaced students. These schools are categorised by a high pupil to teacher ratio, an inadequate number of qualified teachers, and a limited number of teachers with training either on psychosocial care and support or special needs.

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Response:  221,000 school age displaced boys and girls have been supported to access education opportunities.  In preparation for the school year that starts in September and October, 57 new pre-fabricated schools have been completed and 14 new tented schools providing displaced children access to formal education in Baghdad, Dahuk, Diyala, Erbil and Kirkuk.  Education partners continue to organize catch-up classes and summer activities for displaced children in Baghdad (in response to the Anbar crisis), Dahuk, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk who have missed out on a significant part of the last school year.  Registration of displaced students has started in camps and host community schools in preparation of the new academic year.  Cluster partners are coordinating back-to-school activities advocating for earlier registration of children, promotion of school attendance, and distribution plans in schools supplies in preparation for the start of the new school year. Gaps and constraints:  Due to the displacements in Anbar governorate since April, the number of displaced learners has increased by about 35,000 learners.  More than 70 per cent of displaced people do not have access to education, due to lack of capacity.  Insecurity is hampering activities to learners in Anbar and Salah al-Din governorates.  Lack of funding for the education activities remains a significant challenge including lack of space, textbooks and qualified teachers.

Logistics Response:  Efforts continue to ensure common services to partners in Erbil and Dahuk governorates and to expand the presence in Baghdad to better support southern and central operations. The cluster compiles information on partners’ logistics capacity, gaps and needs to facilitate transport and coordination for humanitarian convoys as required.  The warehouse stock balance in Dahuk stands at 65.91 metric tons (655.95 m3) of non-food items belonging to four partners. Warehouse space available is currently 420 m2. In Erbil the stock balance is 13.09 metric tons (58.88 m3) of items from the Qatar Charity Foundation, planned to be dispatched in the coming days.  Needs include: limited storage capacity for pre-positioning and contingency stocks, mainly due to access constraints, rapidly changing security environment and increasing humanitarian needs; need for constant coordination and information sharing among humanitarian actors in light of the fluid operational scenario; restriction of movement of humanitarian cargo and personnel in key operational areas coupled with high transportation costs for certain hard-to-reach areas.

Background on the crisis Wide-scale violence and armed conflict erupted in Iraq in January 2014. Initially concentrated in Anbar Governorate, with the cities of Ramadi and Falluja particularly affected, the violence and its impact quickly grew, displacing over 500,000 people by May. In June 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), together with other armed groups, attacked and seized control of Mosul and large portions of northern Iraq, including areas of Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din governorates. This has led to ongoing armed conflict, massive internal displacement, serious and systematic violations of civilian protection and basic human rights, interrupted access to basic services, and severe strain on host communities. As a result, Iraq is now contending with one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with over 8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance as of July 2015.

For further information, please contact: Cecilia Attefors, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, [email protected], Tel: +964 (0)751 1352880 David Swanson, Public Information Officer, [email protected], Tel: +964 (0)751 1844379

For more information, please visit http://iraq.humanitarianresponse.info

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