Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan 2021 (February 2021) Executive Summary

Response by Strategic Objective

Humanitarian Target Caseloads

The 2021 Iraq Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) identified 4.1 million people in need, with 2.4 million people experiencing acute humanitarian need. While the overall number of people in need remains similar to last year, the severity of humanitarian need has significantly increased, largely due to deepened socioeconomic vulnerabilities. To ensure a tightly focused humanitarian response aimed at alleviating deep vulnerabilities, humanitarian partners have prioritized response interventions for 1.5 million people. The 1.5 million people includes all internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in formal camps, as well as the most vulnerable IDPs and returnees.

Due to ongoing closures of IDP camps in Iraq, the number of IDPs in formal camps decreased from 257,000 at the time of preparing the HNO to 192,000 by mid-January 2021. At the time of the development of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), the number of in-camp IDPs was 221,000, which formed the basis for the targeting exercise. The humanitarian community will continue to assist all in-camp IDPs, adjusting the programmatic targets in line with fluctuations in camp populations in real time. The numbers of IDPs in out-ofcamp locations and of returnees increased slightly as people departing camps either returned to their districts of origin or became secondarily displaced.
HRP targets are based on available information as of the end of November 2020, with 295,000 out-of-camp IDPs and 966,000 returnees prioritized for response.
This will be updated in real time as the situation evolves in 2021.

Humanitarian Response Priorities and Boundaries

Addressing the continuing humanitarian consequences of the 2014-2017 crisis and related displacement, as well as the compounding humanitarian impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, are the central priorities for humanitarian action in Iraq in 2021. This will be achieved through a three-pronged approach, detailed through three Strategic Objectives: firstly, the most acutely vulnerable displaced and returnee families living will be provided with food, livelihoods support and temporary income sources that will enable them to meet their basic needs. Secondly, the most acutely vulnerable displaced and returnee families will be supported to access quality essential services, including primary and secondary health care, education, water and sanitation. Thirdly, the most acutely vulnerable displaced and returnee households continuing to live in unsafe and undignified living environments, exposed to the risks of climatic elements and physical and psychological threats, will be supported to live in safety and dignity.

In 2021, the humanitarian community will also ‘lean forward’ into the nexus between these humanitarian, stabilization and development sectors, in order to provide maximum support towards durable solutions. Inter-connected strategic-level coordination will be facilitated through the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General/Resident Coordinator/ Humanitarian Coordinator.