Iraq Crisis - Water Sanitation Hygiene and Protection Assistance - Oxfam-Québec 2020-2021

January 2020 – In 2020 there are an estimated 4.1 million Iraqis in need of humanitarian assistance of which 1.77 million are in acute need. Out of the 6 million displaced people during the conflict against Daesh more than 1.4 million people remain internally displaced. Those directly affected by the conflict against Daesh particularly those who were displaced and whose lives and livelihoods were uprooted and destroyed continue to require humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs. With GAC’s support Oxfam-Québec provides water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and protection assistance to vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs) returnees and host communities in Iraq. Project activities include: (1) rehabilitating water supply systems and water treatment plants; (2) providing sanitation facilities and solid and medical waste management systems in health centres; (3) delivering hygiene promotion activities; (4) providing emergency cash-for-protection grants or multi-purpose cash assistance to vulnerable women-headed households; (5) providing psychosocial support activities; and (6) providing training to community-based structures including women and youth groups on protection monitoring case identification and referrals.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to safe water supply and to safe dignified and gender-sensitive sanitation facilities in health centres; (2) improved awareness of safe hygiene practices; (3) increased income via multi-purpose cash assistance to reduce negative coping strategies for targeted female-headed households; (4) improved access to gender-sensitive protection services for conflict-affected women children and youth; and (5) strengthened community capacity to identify refer and monitor protection needs and gaps. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.