Iraq: Humanitarian Access Severity Overview (November 2021)

DISTRICT ACCESS SEVERITY AS PERCEIVED BY HUMANITARIAN ACTORS

The October 2021 access severity monitoring conducted by OCHA indicated fewer constraints on humanitarian activities in Iraq compared to previous years. Humanitarian organizations that participated in the monitoring reported a 21 per cent decline in districts perceived to have moderate or high access restrictions compared with 2020, which was marked by the Government of Iraq’s (GOI) suspension of the non-government organization (NGO) authorization mechanism, and compounded by COVID-19 movement controls. However, as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and a new NGO access authorization mechanism was established in September 2020, humanitarian organizations were able to resume their operations with fewer obstructions.

Despite the improvement, humanitarian partners reported that they still experienced moderate to higher levels of access restrictions in 22 districts in the governorates of Al-Anbar, Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salah Al-Din.

Nevertheless, as of November 2021, approximately two-thirds of districts in central and northern governorates are considered accessible, i.e. with adequate resources and clearances for humanitarian organizations to be able to reach and assist all or nearly all targeted people in need.