Iraq Crisis - Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Vulnerable Persons - UNICEF 2016-2018

September 2016 – The humanitarian situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate as armed clashes between Daesh and government forces drive displacement. Since January 2014 over 3.3 million people have been displaced and an additional 887 000 previously displaced people have returned to their homes that have often been destroyed making it one of the largest cases of internal displacement in the world. Persecution of minority groups is an ongoing concern as well as the protection of women and children who are at an increased risk of (and in some cases targeted for) sexual violence such as rape as well as child early and forced marriage. Canada is helping reduce the vulnerability of hundreds of thousands of crisis-affected people especially women and children through a broad spectrum of humanitarian assistance activities across Iraq. GAC’s multi-year humanitarian support to UNICEF is contributing to improved health nutritional status and access to water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for vulnerable persons in conflict-affected regions of Iraq. Project activities include: (1) improving WASH behaviours in vulnerable communities schools and health facilities; (2) providing rapid response mechanisms for the newly displaced; and (3) improving access to high-impact health and nutrition interventions especially in governorates with high mortality rates and in humanitarian situations for newborns children and mothers.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved water sanitation and hygiene behaviours in vulnerable communities schools and health facilities; (2) improved access to non-food items through rapid response mechanisms for newly displaced persons; and (3) improved health and nutritional status of newborns children and mothers. The ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or that are food insecure.