“We are deeply grateful to the German Government and the German people for this very generous contribution,” said Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande.
Germany has already contributed $10.9 million to the Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF), a pooled fund managed by the OCHA bringing the country’s contribution to a total of $45.7 million in 2017 for Iraq’s dire humanitarian situation.
“The pooled fund is the backbone of the humanitarian operation in Iraq,” said Grande. “More than 125 projects targeting 4.2 million Iraqis in nine governorates have received funding through the IHF in 2017 alone.”
Iraqi forces and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the total liberation of Iraq from ISIS on Saturday, December 10, over 3 years since the militant group took control of large swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria.
“The military campaign against ISIL [ISIS] is over, but the humanitarian crisis is not,” Grande added, stating that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis remain displaced.
A total of 3.3 million people remain displaced with many of them living in camps or improvised shelters as their homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Three years of ISIS control and military operations to liberate the country left key infrastructure in ruins, causing the largest rebuilding and stabilization challenge the world has seen in decades.
“Millions of Iraqis have suffered terribly,” said Grande. “Our top priority now is to help ensure that people who need help receive it. In the months ahead we will be working closely with the Government so that people are able to return to their homes safely, voluntarily and in dignity.”
