OVERVIEW
In January 2020, the WASH Cluster informed partners that UNICEF (as cluster lead agency) was seeking to phase out as the primary WASH provider in a number of IDP camps in Ninewa and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), due a shortfall in funding. UNICEF and the WASH Cluster are actively seeking other humanitarian actors to take on the role of WASH service provision, in parallel to conversations with relevant government authorities for potential handover of responsibility.
UNICEF has assured partners that it will continue being a provider of last resort until transition is formalized in affected camps.
There are already plans in place for the handover of WASH services to NGO partners for certain camps in KRI, but no comprehensive solution has yet been put forward for all impacted sites. In parallel, some WASH partners have indicated that they have supplies in place to meet any gaps over the next six months, but not for longer-term needs. Government authorities in KRI have indicated a willingness to provide WASH services in full, but noted that external support would be needed to achieve full coverage.
In 2019, the WASH Cluster had 23 partners operating in 317 locations in Iraq. Reporting to ActivityInfo shows that in 2019, the cluster reached its targeted population of in-camp IDPs and returnees, but did not reach all targeted out-of-camp IDPs or host communities. WASH partners received US$69.8 million for 43 projects in 2019. In the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan, planning figures are scaled back, with approximately 890,000 people targeted (in-camp IDPs, out-of-camp IDPs, and returnees), costing $43.76 million.