UNHCR Iraq: The Inclusion of Internally Displaced People in Iraq’s Social Safety Net - From short-term humanitarian cash assistance to durable social protection (August 2023) [EN/AR]

In a breakthrough development in February 2023, Iraq’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) decided to assess the 180,000 internally displaced Iraqis (IDPs) living in 25 camps in the Kurdistan Region (KR- I) for enrolment in its poverty reduction programme - the Social Safety Net (SSN). The Ministry also decided to prioritize the assessment of IDPs and IDP returnees in urban areas across the country, regardless of whether they are registered in the MoLSA’s online registration system. Online registration is a requirement for any other Iraqi national claiming to meet the SSN criteria due to their poverty level. IDPs who meet the MoLSA’s vulnerability criteria will benefit from monthly cash payments that will help them meet their basic needs (an average of $85/IQD 125,000 per person per month). Vulnerable families and individuals, including female-headed households and individuals with disabilities, will receive cash top-ups.