Iraq: Iraq: Humanitarian Bulletin, December 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
• 2020 GHO Launched, seeking $109 billion
• Women in Ana District live in fear of eviction
• Nationwide political protests persist; an estimated 19,000 injured; humanitarian operations affected
• SG’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement named; co-chairs from Italy and Rwanda
2020 Global Humanitarian Overview Launched
The 2020 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) was launched on 4 December 2019, with events in Geneva, Berlin, Brussels, London and Washington DC. It is estimated that every 45 people on the planet are in need of food, shelter, health care, emergency education, protection or other basic assistance. A record 168 million people worldwide will need humanitarian assistance and protection in the year ahead; the 2020 HNO aims to meet the humanitarian needs of 29 million people, at a cost of US$109 billion. It presents an evidence-based assessment of the world’s humanitarian needs in the year ahead, including an overview of key trends, and a snapshot of coordinated and prioritized response plans. In Iraq, several months of in-depth and joint data analysis across 17 governorates indicates that 4.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 1.77 million assessed to be in acute need. These needs are detailed in the Iraq 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview (launched in November 2019), which provides a basis for prioritized and targeted response planning in 2020, estimated to cost approximately $520 million.
Member State Briefing in Geneva
Also on 4 December 2019 in Geneva, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Marta Ruedas, briefed Member States on the humanitarian situation and planning priorities for 2020. She described a complex, post-conflict humanitarian situation where political, socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors contribute to people’s vulnerability, and where durable solutions and reconstruction are essential. The HC noted the low intention of IDPs to return to their place of origin for various due to security concerns, lack of basic infrastructures and services, damaged properties, social cohesion, and psycho-social vulnerabilities. She spoke as well of the potential return of 30,000 Iraqis currently living in Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria and mentioned the ongoing discussions with the Government of Iraq (GoI) regarding the circumstances of their return.
