Member Activity Report Iraq July 2009

InterAction Member Activity Report Iraq and its Neighbors A Guide to Humanitarian and Development Efforts of InterAction Member Organizations

July 2009

Photo Courtesy of Relief International

Produced by Lindsay Stepp With the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team, InterAction

And with the support of a cooperative agreement with USAID/OFDA

1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 667-8227 Fax: (202) 667-8236 Website: www.interaction.org

Table of Contents Table of Contents: Maps of Iraq and the Middle East............................................................................................2 Maps of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.........................................................................................3 Background Summary…………………………………………………….……………….…4 Report Summary…………………………………………………………………….………..7 Organizations by Country……………………………………………………………………8 Organizations by Sector Activity…………………………………………….……….…..….9 Glossary of Acronyms………………………………………………………….……….…..10 Member Activity Reports: Air Serv International……………………………..…………………………………...……12 Catholic Relief Services……...…………………………………………….……...………..13 CHF International……………………………………………………………..……..….......18 International Catholic Migration Commission……………………………………..……….20 International Medical Corps……………………………………………………...……........23 International Relief and Development………………………………………….......…........27 International Rescue Committee…………………………………………………..…..........30 LIFE for Relief and Development………………………..………………………........……34 Mercy Corps………………………………………………………………………..……….39 Relief International…………………………………………………………………....…….43 Save the Children………………………………………………………………..………….47 Women for Women International…………………………………………………………...51 1

Maps of Iraq and the Middle East Maps courtesy of Central Intelligence Agency / World Fact Book

Iraq

The Middle East 2

Maps of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon Individual country maps courtesy of Central Intelligence Agency / World Fact Book

Jordan

Syria

Lebanon 3

Background Summary Background Summary Decades of conflict and neglect have taken a heavy toll on Iraqi society, basic services and economic development. Under the authoritarian rule of Saddam Hussein, warfare, sanctions and human rights abuses became a way of life for many Iraqis. Now, following Iraq’s most recent war, Iraqis and neighboring countries face the largest displacement crisis in the Middle East since 1948. While democratic transition and an improved security situation provide room for optimism, these gains are fragile and reversible, and some areas in Iraq remain very dangerous. As a result, many displaced Iraqis are unable to return to their homes safely, voluntarily and sustain themselves there. Millions of Iraqis remain displaced, both within Iraq’s borders and in neighboring countries, and millions more, while not displaced, are vulnerable. Not surprisingly, the influx of refugee flows into neighboring countries has put a considerable strain on states such as Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. The number and substantial needs of the displaced, in addition to the impact the crisis has had on surrounding countries, have resulted in one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world. A History of Displacement Even before the U.S.-led invasion, Iraqis suffered the consequences of displacement under the rule of Saddam Hussein and his Ba’athist regime. Armed conflicts, such as the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the first Gulf War, resulted in considerable numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees leaving the country. In addition, Hussein’s practice of eliminating dissidents and potential political opposition to consolidate his power led to the expulsion of thousands of Iraqi people. During Hussein’s rule, the Ba’athists also forcibly displaced Kurds and Shi’ites (including Marsh Arabs), as well as Kurdish, Turkmen and Assyrian (Christian) minorities in the Kirkuk region. Thus, prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country had already produced one of the largest refugee populations in the world. In addition to the more than 1 million internally displaced persons fleeing Ba’athist persecution, another 1 to 2 million Iraqis lived abroad, fearful of returning to Iraq. This fragile backdrop, compounded by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, has had devastating consequences for the country. Other Populations of Concern in the Region While this particular report focuses on displaced and vulnerable Iraqis in the region, a considerable number of vulnerable non-Iraqi populations require significant attention as 4

well. As of February 2009, UNHCR had registered over 41,000 non-Iraqi refugees in Iraq alone. This number consists mainly of displaced Iranians, Syrians, Sudanese and Palestinians, and does not take unregistered refugees into account. Displaced Palestinians in the region remain particularly vulnerable, facing such challenges as harassment, threats of deportation, arbitrary detention, torture and murder. These populations and the perils they face should not be overlooked in responses to the humanitarian crisis in the region. International Response and Responsibility Given the magnitude and duration of the Iraqi humanitarian crisis, the response from affected governments remains insufficient. Increasingly, states receiving large numbers of refugees— primarily Syria, Jordan and Lebanon—have become restrictive in accepting Iraqis into their societies. Additionally, the broader international community lacks a comprehensive strategy to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the region, which would address the immediate needs of the displaced and vulnerable populations and would also prepare for long-term and sustainable development in Iraq. In the past, Jordan, Syria, and other neighboring countries have been generous in giving Iraqi refugees protection. Increasingly, however, resource constraints and security considerations have led to increased restrictions on entry requirements. Host country governments worry that the displaced will want to stay permanently, and some citizens fear a loss of jobs, goods and services to the refugee communities. Changing attitudes and panicked concern have therefore prompted states to create policies in an ad hoc and often unsympathetic manner. Ambiguous policies make for an overall nontransparent, makeshift system. Additionally, much of the international community has failed to accept responsibility for addressing the crisis and has over the past several years dramatically reduced levels of funding for Iraqi refugees and IDP assistance. Most Western governments and the United States in particular, have tended to focus on funding reconstruction and development projects in Iraq, rather than on the urgent humanitarian needs of the displaced and vulnerable. They often perceive the refugee and broader humanitarian crisis as problems for regional governments, and thus permit only a small number of refugees and asylum seekers to resettle in their countries. This inattention to the humanitarian crisis and the reluctant acceptance of Iraqi refugees by foreign governments puts displaced and vulnerable Iraqis in a dangerous position. Prospects and Challenges Marked progress in the transition to democracy and in the overall security situation of Iraq suggests that prospects for stability and peace do exist in the country. Even amid the challenges of executing a democratic election, January 2009 has been described as the most peaceful month in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, attesting to the progress toward 5

democracy and stability in the country. Though turnout for the election was slightly lower than expected, some predominantly Sunni areas known to have boycotted votes in the past showed a marked increase in voter turnout. Overall, this first nationwide election in four years ran very smoothly. President Barack Obama joined Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in praising the election as a success.. Regardless of this improvement, the displacement crisis remains a massive impediment to true progress toward stability in Iraq. In addition, sectarian and generalized violence continue to disrupt development and humanitarian efforts. Overwhelmingly, the displaced have limited access to resources and basic social services. In surrounding states, Iraqis encounter significant barriers to employment and to access to education and health services meant for citizens. Even where their presence is permitted in a neighboring country, many Iraqis do not have the authorization to work, thrusting them into poverty. Within the country, destruction has resulted in a breakdown of social services including the education and health systems. Without adequate means to survival, displaced Iraqis face a daunting future and their need for even basic necessities continues to exhaust the capacities of host governments, humanitarian NGOs and civil society groups assisting these populations. Given the overall improvement in the security situation in Iraq, the return of displaced Iraqis to their homes may appear as the most logical solution. However, rushed and ill-conceived returns risk further violence and uncertainty, as returnees find themselves in a precarious position. Many displaced persons cannot return to their communities in the first place, often for religious and political reasons. Others discover upon return that squatters have taken up residence in their homes and that the basic social services they lacked during displacement remain unavailable in Iraq as well. While outsiders often perceive an increase in returning refugees and IDPs as an indicator of progress, many on the ground recognize the dangers of hasty returns. The Iraqi government remains ill-equipped at this time to handle massive waves of returns and communities continue to lack the basic resources, services and safety needed to sustain a society. Additionally, the forcible return of refugees to an area where they may be again subjected to persecution violates international refugee and human rights law under the principle of non-refoulement. Encouraging returns before the government and social structure are prepared to receive returnees would have deleterious consequences for the country and its citizens, and for the guarded progress that has been made so far. Given this fragile backdrop, displaced and vulnerable populations in and around Iraq require significant attention. The future of the displaced in the Middle East will depend largely on efforts made by the newly established Iraqi government, increased attention from the international community and a continued humanitarian presence in the region. More than six years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, however, no simple solutions appear in sight.

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Report Summary This report offers international agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the media and the general public an overview of some of the current humanitarian and development efforts being provided by InterAction member organizations to vulnerable and displaced Iraqis and other populations at risk in Iraq and the Middle East. While many populations in the region deserve attention from the humanitarian community, this particular report focuses on those at risk as a result of the sprawling humanitarian crisis originating from Iraq’s borders. The programs and projects described in this report take place mostly in Iraq, in neighboring countries and in Lebanon and Egypt. InterAction, the largest coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations, has over 180 members operating all over the world. Collectively, InterAction members work in every developing country of the world on development issues from poverty to disaster response. The descriptions in this report represent some of the many activities that InterAction members have taken on in the Middle East. These efforts range from disaster and emergency relief to education and capacity building and from refugee and migration services to conflict resolution and human rights programs. Programs focusing on women’s empowerment, child protection and youth pay particular attention to some of the region’s most vulnerable persons. In addition, development, water and sanitation, and health care remain at the center of many member organizations’ efforts to address the needs of the displaced and vulnerable in the Middle East.

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Organizations by Country Egypt Catholic Relief Services Jordan Air Serv International Catholic Relief Services International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps International Relief and Development International Rescue Committee Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) Mercy Corps Save the Children Iraq Air Serv International Catholic Relief Services CHF International International Medical Corps International Relief and Development International Rescue Committee LIFE Mercy Corps Save the Children Relief International Women for Women International Lebanon Catholic Relief Services International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps Syria Catholic Relief Services International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps International Rescue Committee LIFE Mercy Corps

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Organizations by Sector Activity Agriculture and Food Security Catholic Relief Services Relief International

Save the Children Women for Women International Gender Issues/Women in Development Catholic Relief Services International Medical Corps International Rescue Committee LIFE Women for Women International

Business Development, Microfinance, Cooperatives and Credit Catholic Relief Services CHF International International Relief and Development Save the Children Relief International Women for Women International

Health Care Catholic Relief Services International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps International Relief and Development International Rescue Committee LIFE (including nutrition) Save the Children (including nutrition) Relief International

Child Protection/Youth LIFE (Orphan Program) Save the Children Community Development International Relief and Development Relief International (Civil Society/Labor Union Development)

Human Rights/Peace/Conflict Resolution Catholic Relief Services International Rescue Committee Mercy Corps Save the Children (Child & Refugee Rights) Relief International Women for Women International

Disaster and Emergency Relief AirServ International Catholic Relief Services International Medical Corps International Relief and Development International Rescue Committee LIFE Mercy Corps Relief International

Logistical Support Air Serv International (Air transport) Refugee and Migration Services International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps International Relief and Development International Rescue Committee

Education, Capacity Building & Training Catholic Relief Services CHF International International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps International Relief and Development International Rescue Committee LIFE Mercy Corps

Rural Development Catholic Relief Services International Medical Corps International Relief and Development LIFE Relief International 9

Glossary of Acronyms InterAction Members ANERA CHF CRS ICMC IMC IRC IRD RI WfWI Other Acronyms ACSI BPRM/PRM CAG CAP CBSP CHP CSP DFID DOS ECA ECHO EGY ENT FDP GBV GYC DRC DRL HAI ICCM ICT IDP IMHI IMMDF INGO JOAC JPF JRC JRF MMU

American Near East Refugee Aid CHF International (Cooperative Housing Foundation) Catholic Relief Services International Catholic Migration Commission International Medical Corps International Rescue Committee International Relief and Development Relief International Women for Women International

Access to Credit Services Initiative Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration Affairs (U.S. State Department) Community Action Group Community Action Program Community-Based Support Program Cultural Heritage Program Community Stabilization Program Department for International Development (United Kingdom) Department of State Education and Cultural Affairs (State Department) European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department Employment Generation and Youth Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist Family Protection Department Gender-Based Violence Global Youth Connectivity Danish Refugee Council Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (U.S. State Department) Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq Iraq Community-Based Conflict Mitigation program Information and Communication Technology Internally Displaced Person Iraqi Mental Health Initiative Iraq Middle Market Development Foundation International Nongovernmental Organization Jersey Overseas Aid Commission Japan Platform Jordan Red Crescent Jordan River Foundation Mobile Medical Unit 10

MODM MOE MOH MOLSA MSME NFI NGO OFDA OTI PAC PDS UAE UN UNDP UNHCR UNICEF UNOCHA USAID USDS VAW WFP WHO

Ministry of Displacement and Migration Ministry of Education Ministry of Health Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises Nonfood Items Nongovernmental Organization Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Office of Transition Initiatives (U.S. Department of Defense) Protection Assistance Centers Public Distribution System United Arab Emirates United Nations United Nations Development Programme United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations Children’s Fund UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs U.S. Agency for International Development U. S. Department of State Violence Against Women World Food Program World Health Organization

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Air Serv International US Contact Karen Cilberti Grants and Contracts Coordinator Air Serv International 410 Rosedale Court, Suite 190 Warrenton, VA 20186 Phone: 540-428-2323 x124 Email: [email protected]

Field Contact Ala Smum Base Manager, Amman Air Serv Internatioinal / Iraq Humanitarian Aviation 29, Odeh Abu Tayeh Str, Shmeisani, Amman-Jordan Cell: (+962) (79) 5454-343 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to Air Serv International Air Serv International’s mission is to increase humanitarian access to the many populations in need through Aviation, especially those countries with populations at highest risk due to security problems and natural disasters.

Air Serv International in the Region In support of USAID’s Strategic Objective #6, Air Serv provides flight services to development, humanitarian and diplomatic staff requiring transport from Amman to Baghdad and Erbil. Having provided humanitarian flights in Iraq since 2003, Air Serv continues to be granted landing permits. Air Serv has its base in Amman, Jordan and flies out of Marka airport near downtown Amman. Air Serv receives ongoing aviation security information in coordination with Iraqi Civil Aviation, Jordan Civil Aviation and the US military based at the Baghdad International Airport. Sectors into which programs in the region fall:  Disaster and Emergency Relief  Logistical Support – air transport Scale of Programs: Flight schedules change throughout the year in an effort to provide transport to the highest number of passengers possible. Throughout the year, Air Serv can provide transport for up to 10,000 passengers and 13,000 metric tons of cargo/supplies for those working in Iraq and the region. We also provide security and medical evacuations, including for those Iraqis (both children and adults) targeted to receive surgeries outside of Iraq. Funding source: USAID grant – Air Serv must share the cost through ticket sales.

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Catholic Relief Services US Contact Cullen Larson Regional Representative & Advocacy, Europe/Middle East Overseas Support Department Catholic Relief Services 228 W. Lexington St. Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3413 Phone: 410-951-7362 Email: [email protected]

Field Contact Mark Schnellbaecher Regional Director - Europe/Middle East Catholic Relief Services Sodeco Street, Freij Building, 8th floor Beirut, Lebanon Phone: +961 (1) 398-990 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. Catholic community. CRS assists people in need in more than 100 countries, serving over 80 million people on the basis of need, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS responds to victims of natural and manmade disasters, provides assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs, supports self-help programs that involve communities in their own development, helps people restore and preserve their dignity and realize their potential, and helps educate Americans to fulfill their moral responsibilities to alleviate human suffering, remove its causes and promote social justice. The agency maintains strict standards of efficiency, accountability and transparency.

Catholic Relief Services in the Region Catholic Relief Services helps Iraqis in the Middle East live their lives in dignity by providing access to food, housing, education, and job training. CRS is currently assisting 5,000 Iraqis within Iraq and approximately 30,000 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Business Development, Cooperatives and Credit In Lebanon, CRS encourages informal business opportunities. Disaster and Emergency Relief In the autumn of 2008, when violence drove thousands of Iraqis from their homes in the north of Iraq, a CRS-funded program helped internally displaced families with food parcels. In Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, CRS programs provide items like diapers, mattresses, heaters, and blankets to destitute Iraqi refugee families. For especially vulnerable Iraqis, CRS provides cookware and food parcels with items like rice, cooking oil, and beans. In Lebanon, CRS funds food vouchers so refugees can buy the food items they need. CRS in Syria provides only nonfood items (NFI).

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Education/Training CRS’ tuition programs in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt help Iraqi refugee families pay for private schools, because refugee children are usually not allowed to attend public schools in their Middle Eastern host countries. For example, a CRS-UNHCR program in Egypt pays partial tuition so that more than 2,100 Iraqi refugee children can attend school in and around Cairo. In Lebanon, CRS has supported about 250 in school, and 50 in vocational education. CRS partners also provide children with school supplies like books and backpacks, and CRS has funded school furniture like desks. CRS’ vocational training programs for Iraqi refugees help Iraqis learn skills in computers, cell phone repair, hairdressing, auto repair and other fields. Because Iraqi refugees are often not able to get work permits in Middle Eastern countries, these skills can be used to start home-based businesses so refugees can support their families, and to prepare them for employment upon return to Iraq or resettlement. Gender Issues/Women in Development CRS programs for Iraqi refugees in the Middle East pay special attention to women-headed households. CRS funds a Well Baby program in Iraq that teaches mothers how to treat their babies’ illnesses and keep them healthy.

Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services

Iraqi girl holds a baby refugee

Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services

Refugee boy looks from beside his mother

Health Care CRS programs in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon pay for medicine like insulin, operations like heart surgery, and treatment like kidney dialysis for destitute Iraqi refugees. Because Iraqi refugees in many Middle Eastern countries are not allowed to access public health care services, many are in danger of having no safety net if they fall ill. In Syria, CRS provides both inpatient (surgeries) and outpatient medical assistance (doctor’s visits, lab work, X-rays, specialists). As previously mentioned, CRS also funds a Well Baby program in Iraq that teaches mothers how to treat their babies’ illnesses and keep them healthy. 14

Human Rights/Peace/Conflict Resolution A CRS-funded program in Baghdad provides nonviolence courses to Iraqis, including youth. It focuses on developing peacebuilding skills. Refugee and Migration Services In Lebanon, CRS funds legal assistance to Iraqis detained because of visa issues. It also funds food and non-food items like fans and washing machines for refugees detained in holding cells because of their irregular immigration status.

Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services Father holds the falsified passport used to escape to safety from Iraq Location of Projects or Programs:  Lebanon: Across Lebanon in relevant Sunni, Shia, and Christian areas where Iraqi refugees are settling: Beirut, Saida, Tyre, and the Bekaa Valley  Jordan: Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Fuheis and Karak  Egypt: Cairo  Syria  Iraq: Baghdad and the north of Iraq Funding sources:  Lebanon and Syria: United States Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), and private CRS funds  Egypt: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  Jordan: Private CRS funds  Iraq: Private CRS funds Scale of programs: Jordan: $70,000 for around 200 beneficiaries for a range of assistance, medical, formal education and vocational education, food and non food items.

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Syria: Approximately $3 million currently serving around 15,000 individuals with a range of assistance -- Non-Food Items, education and vocational training, health assistance and psychosocial support. Iraq: Around $300,000 with around 5,000 beneficiaries helping malnourished children, pregnant women, the elderly, the displaced, and other vulnerable Iraqis with food, non-food items, medical care and capacity building. Egypt: For the 2008-2009 school year, about one quarter of a $1M UNHCR grant for refugee tuition assistance enabled 2,224 eligible Iraqi students to attend private schools in and around Cairo. The remaining funding served Sudanese, Somali and other refugee children. The total grant including Iraqis and non-Iraqis was $1M. Lebanon: Approx $2 million currently, serving approx 14,000 Iraqi refugees with a complete range of assistance -- Non-Food Items like diapers and mattresses, tuition money for children, and vocational training for adults, medical care (inpatient and outpatient), small grants for graduates of vocational training, Cooperative efforts with other local, international, or governmental agencies:  Regular communication with UN agencies in coordination meetings.  Consultations and information sharing with other PRM-funded INGOs. Jordan: CRS' partner, Caritas Jordan, is part of the coordination with different committees such as UNHCR, and other international NGOs as well as with governmental ministries such as MOH and MOE. Caritas Jordan is a main partner with UNHCR in Jordan and receives direct funds from UNHCR. Syria: As CRS is not registered we cannot attend UNHCR sector meetings. Lebanon: UNHCR is the leading coordination mechanism in Lebanon and we attend all meetings which they convene. We do bilateral coordination with the other biggest implementers of such programming in Lebanon (IMC, DRC, Chaldean Church). We work with Lebanese General Security (Caritas and UNHCR worked together to get General Security to declare an amnesty for Iraqi refugees to sort out their status).

Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services Iraqi Teen

Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services Iraqi Boy 16

Imane Hamdi fled Iraq in 2006 after her oldest son was kidnapped. Her youngest son eventually left Lebanon for Greece, where he now lives illegally. Hamdi is living at the CRS-supported Reyfoun Shelter just north of Beirut. Here she receives all food, accommodation, and services for free until she can be resettled through the United Nations. Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services

Iraqi refugees meet with CRS staff and social workers of the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center in a new field office in the Zeatrich community of Beirut. This community is home to hundreds of families of Iraqi refugees, many of whom arrive in Lebanon with little or no money.

Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services

Iraqi refugee Bahiga Baba stands with other women attending a CRS-supported training hosted by the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center in Beirut. Baba has completed 12 such training classes covering everything from child care and AIDS prevention to issues of gender violence - all provided as part of an array of services offered through the migrant center. Photo Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services 17

CHF International US Contact CHF International 8601 Georgia Avenue, Suite 800 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3440 USA Phone: 301-587-4700 www.chfinternational.org

Field Contact: Ahmad Lamaa Director of Business and Operations ACSI Iraq Email: [email protected]

Introduction to CHF International CHF International's mission is to be a catalyst for long-lasting positive change in low- and moderate-income communities around the world, helping them to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.

CHF International in the Region Recovering from decades of conflict, Baathist party domination, and dramatic regime change, the people of Iraq face numerous challenges in rebuilding the political, social, and economic institutions of their society. CHF International aims to improve the social and economic circumstances of families and communities while strengthening the communities’ use of democratic decision-making. Access to Credit Services CHF’s Access to Credit Services Initiative (ACSI) is a micro-lending program that targets the working poor in need of small business and home improvement loans. Via loan products that are compliant with Islamic lending principles, ACSI seeks to assist entrepreneurs in strengthening their businesses and stabilizing their incomes, creating and sustaining jobs, and contributing to the economic revitalization of Iraq. As of June 2008, ACSI had distributed over US $122 million to clients in Iraq. ACSI has become the largest microfinance program in Iraq and one of CHF International’s largest microfinance programs worldwide. Currently, ACSI has over US$28 million in portfolio outstanding, representing approximately 80% of the microfinance market in Iraq. Community Driven Development CHF implements the third phase of USAID’s Community Action Program (CAP) in South Central Iraq and Anbar Governorate. CAP III is based on the premise that local community needs are best met by ensuring the active partnership of all stakeholders – citizens, local government, business and social leaders – in identifying priorities and designing interventions. CAP I and II focused primarily on building the capacity of community action groups (CAGs) to fill the gap of local government and exercise true grassroots democracy by implementing 18

projects on their own where necessary, and in partnership with local government where possible, to meet community needs. CAP III focuses on furthering the evolution of community-centered development by building the capacity of local government to take on its proper governance role as the locus of community needs assessment, prioritization, project design, funding and implementation.

Photo Courtesy of CHF International Iraqis participate in a town hall style community meeting. Middle Market Lending The Iraq Middle Market Development Foundation (IMMDF) is a U.S. 501(c)3 tax-exempt charity created by CHF International in 2004. IMMDF is funded by the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation and provides debt capital exclusively to Iraqi owned small & mediumsized enterprises operating in Iraq. Most borrowers use IMMDF capital to upgrade or expand operations by purchasing new equipment, building new facilities and financing raw materials. In its first four years in operations it has disbursed nearly $55.5 million to 35 clients.

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International Catholic Migration Commission US Contact Jane Bloom, Liaison Officer ICMC, Inc. 4th floor, USCCB 3211 4th Street NE Washington, DC 20017 USA Tel: +1 202 541 3389 Email: [email protected]

Field Contact: Zeljko Toncic Regional Director Middle East ICMC Middle East PO Box 3304 11181 Amman Jordan Tel: +962 6 565 6836 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to ICMC The International Catholic Migration Commission serves and protects uprooted people; refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants, regardless of faith, race, ethnicity or nationality. With staff and programs in over 40 countries, ICMC responds to the challenges of people on the move and their communities, advocating and implementing rights-based policies and durable solutions through its worldwide membership of Catholic bishops’ conferences, and alongside government and non-governmental partners.

ICMC in the Region ICMC General Objectives in the Middle East:  To improve the overall protection of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria through comprehensive needs assessments, outreach, targeted assistance and close cooperation with UNHCR and other NGOs  To meet the acute humanitarian and medical assistance needs of extremely vulnerable Iraqi refugees and host country nationals in Jordan and Syria  To contribute to the development of transferable professional skills and capacities and provide opportunities for continuous education for Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria  To contribute to the protection and well being of victims of trafficking in Lebanon by providing safe shelter, medical, legal, psychological and repatriation assistance  To contribute to legislative change, improved coordination and improved implementation of existing law enforcement mechanisms to enhance protection of victims of trafficking in Lebanon Locations of ICMC projects and programs  Jordan: Amman, Fuheis, Irbid, Karak, Madaba, Zarqa  Lebanon: Greater Beruit  Syria: Greater Damascus ICMC Project donors  European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid-ECHO 20

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United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) United States Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP)

Current ICMC Middle East Programs Humanitarian Assistance for Vulnerable Iraqis in Jordan Sectors: Refugee and Migration Services, Health Care, Education/Training Location: Jordan (Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Karak, Fuheis, Madaba) Target population: 7,680 extremely vulnerable Iraqi refugees and Jordanians Duration: September 1, 2008-August 31, 2009 Donor: United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM) Project partners: Caritas Jordan Activities:  Distribution of NFIs (including blankets, mattresses, heaters etc) to Iraqis and Jordanians  Outpatient health care (such as medication, medical tests, check-ups by General Practitioners and Specialists) for Iraqis and Jordanians  Inpatient health care for urgent cases (including complicated deliveries, appendicitis, heart surgeries, etc.) for Iraqis and Jordanians  Health awareness sessions on important medical topics, such as dental hygiene, chronic disease management, nutrition etc for Iraqis and Jordanians  Remedial education to help Iraqi refugee who are out of school or at risk of dropping out of school catch up with the Jordanian curriculum  Vocational and life skills training for Iraqi youth and young adults on a large variety of subjects, including sewing, carpentry, secretarial work, English, computers, Arabic and English typing etc. Humanitarian Assistance for Vulnerable Iraqis in Syria, Sept. 2008-Sept. 2009 Sectors: Refugee and Migration Services, Health Care, Education/Training Location: Syria (Greater Damascus) Target population: 8,457 extremely vulnerable Iraqi refugees and Syrians Duration: September 15, 2008-September 14, 2009 Donor: United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Project partners: Terre des Hommes Syria Activities:  Distribution of NFIs (including blankets, mattresses, heaters etc.) to Iraqis and Syrians  Outpatient health care (such as medication, medical tests, check-ups by General Practitioners and Specialists) for Iraqis and Syrians  Inpatient health care for urgent cases (including complicated deliveries, appendicitis, heart surgeries etc.) for Iraqis and Syrians 21

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Distribution of health awareness brochures on important topics, such as child nutrition, chronic disease management, first aid, hepatitis, winter illnesses (such as flu, bronchitis) to Iraqis and Syrians Remedial education to help Iraqi refugees who are out of school or at risk of dropping out of school catch up with the Syrian curriculum Life skills training for Iraqi youth and young adults on English and computer skills Vocational training for Iraqi youth and adults on a variety of subjects, including hair dressing, make up, sewing, repair and maintenance of mobile phones and computers etc.

Humanitarian Assistance for Vulnerable Iraqis in Syria, July 2008-July 2009 Sectors: Refugee and Migration Services, Health Care Location: Syria (Greater Damascus) Target population: 7,600 extremely vulnerable Iraqi refugees and Syrians Duration: July 15, 2008-July 14, 2009 Donor: European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid-ECHO Project partners: Terre des Hommes Syria Activities:  Distribution of NFIs (including blankets, mattresses, heaters etc) to Iraqis and Syrians  Comprehensive inpatient health care (including cataract and retinal detachment surgeries, normal and complicated deliveries, cardiac catherization, hysterectomies etc.) for Iraqis and Syrians  Distribution of health awareness brochures on important topics, such as child nutrition, chronic disease management, first aid, hepatitis, winter illnesses (such as flu, bronchitis etc.) to Iraqis and Syrians Protection and Assistance for Victims of Trafficking in Lebanon Sectors: Refugee and Migration Services, Health Care Location: Lebanon (Greater Beirut) Target population: 60 victims of trafficking Duration: May 1, 2009 – May 1, 2011 Donor: United States Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) Project partners: Caritas Lebanon Activities:  Safe shelter and comprehensive humanitarian, medical and psychosocial assistance for victims of trafficking  Legal counseling and legal representation for victims of trafficking  Life skills training to enhance income generating skills for victims of trafficking  Repatriation assistance and grants to start a new life in their home country for victims of trafficking  Awareness building sessions on trafficking in human beings for Lebanese law enforcement personnel  Coordination efforts with other stakeholders to combat trafficking in human beings 22

International Medical Corps U.S. Contact Ben Hemingway Deputy Director, International Operations 1313 L St., NW, Suite 220 Washington DC, 20005 Phone: (202) 828.5155 Email: [email protected]

Field Contacts Iraq Agron Ferati Phone: 964 (0) 790 1 912 165 Email: [email protected] Jordan Chris Skopec Phone: 00962 796845637 Email: [email protected] Lebanon Colin Lee Phone: 00961 70 181314 Email: [email protected] Syria Hussien Ibrahim Phone: 00963 6126381 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to International Medical Corps International Medical Corps (IMC) is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, IMC is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas where few organizations dare to serve. By offering training, medical care, and other health interventions to people at highest risk, IMC rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

International Medical Corps in the Region International Medical Corps’ long-term regional strategy in the Middle East is to promote stability by providing support to vulnerable communities that will address issues of poverty, thereby creating the enabling conditions for peace and positive social change. IMC is providing assistance to Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria with various health and mental health services. IMC emphasizes the importance of preparing Iraqi families for eventual return to Iraq and works closely with the regional missions to establish a unified and coordinated approach for their return. As the rate of return increases, the need to improve service provision for returnees becomes ever more critical. As such, International Medical Corps is working very closely with the Ministry of 23

Migration and Displacement of Iraq to enhance and expand its internal capacity to efficiently channel existing financial, human, and intellectual resources to provide immediate and effective needs-based assistance, including registration, legal aid, and protection, to vulnerable IDP and returnee populations. Location of Projects or Programs: International Medical Corps has served people in all of Iraq’s 18 Governorates. In Jordan, IMC runs programs in Greater Amman. In Lebanon, IMC works in 115 villages of South Lebanon in addition to the Beirut Southern Suburbs (Dahya), Akkar, Bekaa, and Tripoli. In Syria, IMC programs are implemented in and around Damascus. Funding Sources: BPRM, OTI, UNHCR, OFDA, JOAC, UNICEF, DFID, ECHO, AusAid, WHO, DOS, OFDA, UNDP Disaster and Relief International Medical Corps provides relief and humanitarian assistance to Iraq’s most vulnerable populations. We have responded to emergencies resulting from violence and displacement as well as natural disasters and disease outbreaks like cholera. To date, IMC has responded to more than 60 emergency crises in Iraq and implemented multi-sectoral interventions in the most difficult operational contexts, including Tel Afar, Mosul, Baquba, Haditha, Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdad, and Al-Qaim. Education/Training Training and capacity building are central to International Medical Corps’ work in Iraq and overall mission. Through its Continuing Medical Education program, IMC trains health professionals in a variety of health topics such as anesthesia, ophthalmology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and obsetrics/gynecology. IMC also trains health professionals in the management of diseases like tuberculosis and as well as administration of radiation oncology services in hospitals. In addition to medical training, International Medical Corps also runs a project in Iraq’s marshlands that focuses on literacy, economic activities, and cultural heritage to six villages. IMC has also created Child Friendly Spaces in different areas in Iraq that offer safe places for children to learn, play, and grow. Gender Issues/Women in Development International Medical Corps’ Women’s Empowerment program recognizes the key role that women play in the Iraqi community and seeks to enable the economic and social empowerment of vulnerable Iraqi women by establishing women centers in Baghdad Al Anbar, Ninewa, and Thi Qar. The program targets those areas that have experienced high levels of violence that has left many women vulnerable.

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Health Care International Medical Corps’ health projects are driven by the need to comprehensively address the country’s healthcare system and infrastructure. Our approach to health care programming in Iraq focuses on improving primary, secondary, and tertiary care, building managerial and quality control, supporting national policy development, and advising the Ministry of Health in its strategy. Our health activities in Iraq include:  Improving primary heath by rehabilitating hospitals and primary health centers, providing medical equipment and supplies, training health workers, establishing referral systems and protocols, enhancing community outreach and mobile health care services, offering community health education, and developing integrated health management systems;  Delivering programs that provide advanced, practical training for hospital-based services, including the latest surgical procedures, best practices in medical and surgical case management, and the latest imaging and radiation therapy technology;  Collaborating with the Ministry of Health to establish the national policy for emergency medicine and implement practical training programs for first-responders and hospital-based professionals. With funding from BPRM, in Jordan, International Medical Corps’ Jordan-Iraqi Refugee Assistance Program improves the quality of and access to health care services through its work with Al-Taj clinic. True to its mission to build self-reliance, IMC also trained clinic staff and added reproductive services to the clinic. With funding from BPRM, in Lebanon, International Medical Corps provides primary and secondary care to Iraqi refugees. Through the Lebanon-Iraqi Assistance Program, Iraqi refugees and their host populations can access physical examinations, immunizations, laboratory services, referrals, family planning services, and other health care services. This program also provides health education to beneficiaries. With funding from BPRM, in Syria, International Medical Corps provides comprehensive primary and preventative health care. Staffed with an internal medicine specialist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist, gynecologist, dentist, and pediatrician, Iraqi refugees and their Syrian host populations can receive specialty care as well. The clinics also provide health education for their beneficiaries. Government Capacity Building International Medical Corps has assisted numerous Iraqi ministries in improving their technical, managerial, and administrative capacities. Most recently, IMC has partnered with MODM, MOH, and MOLSA to design and deliver capacity-building programs tailored to address each ministry’s existing gaps and improve the skill sets of senior and middle management. The success of IMC’s capacity-building programs has led to an increase in requests from Iraqi ministries calling for the establishment of direct partnerships that will strengthen staff capacity and improve the quality of services to the population.

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Democracy and Governance International Medical Corps establishes Development Councils for all of its programs to ensure community ownership over all interventions. For many marginalized groups, community-led and civil society initiatives can serve as a medium of change by providing a collective voice for them to express their needs. Therefore, IMC focuses heavily on marginalized segments of society, especially women and children. Mental Health International Medical Corps understands the importance of mental health interventions particularly in post-conflict efforts and is committed to addressing the mental health needs of the populations with which it works. Over the last five years, IMC has implemented mental health and psychosocial programs in a wide variety of contexts. In the Middle East, International Medical Corps is providing a wide range of mental health and psychosocial support. In Iraq and Lebanon, IMC has child-friendly spaces, in Jordan IMC is providing mental health training to clinic staff and operating a school outreach project that provides basic mental health screenings for both Iraqi and Jordanian children through mobile medical units. Lastly, in Syria, IMC will be setting up a social services center providing a wide range of psychosocial activities for Iraqi and Syrian children and youth. Cooperative efforts with other local, international, or governmental agencies: In Iraq, International Medical Corps works closely with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

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International Relief and Development US Contact Karla Bonnder 1621 N Kent St., 4th floor Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: 702-248-0161 Email: [email protected]

Field Contact David Elkins Community Stabilization Program [email protected] Leslie Gonzalez Community Action Program [email protected]

Michele Lemmon 1621 N Kent St., 4th floor Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: 702-248-0161 Email: [email protected]

Gordon Davis Cultural Heritage Program [email protected] Hameed Kareem Humanitarian Assistance Intervention [email protected]

Introduction to International Relief and Development IRD’s mission is to reduce the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable groups and provide tools and resources needed to increase their self-sufficiency.

International Relief and Development in the Region The Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq (HAI) program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), provides humanitarian assistance and relief services to internally displaced people (IDPs) and vulnerable populations. HAI provides emergency relief supplies, water and sanitation facilities, primary health care services, income generation activities, return facilitation, training and local capacity building, and IDP monitoring and reporting to host populations in Dohuk/Ninewa, Kirkuk, Baghdad, Anbar, Babil, Najaf, and Wasit governorates of Iraq. Since the beginning of the program in 2005, over 2 million people have benefitted. Business Development In order to promote economic growth and create jobs, IRD’s Community Stabilization Program (CSP) supports established local businesses and helps develop new businesses through its MicroSmall-Medium Enterprises (MSME) grant program. Business grants range from $500-$100,000 and are designed to encourage existing business owners and potential entrepreneurs to expand or initiate a business. CSP also offers grantees business management training courses, providing them with essential managerial skills that will better enable them to successfully start or maintain their business.

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Community Development Since June of 2003 IRD has been implementing the USAID funded Community Action Program (CAP). CAP empowers communities by facilitating Community Action Groups (CAGs) that identify, prioritize and address community needs and give the community a voice to local government. CAP is unique in that it allows the communities to choose the projects and activities that will most benefit residents, and requires the communities to contribute towards these projects. IRD/CAP recognizes that Iraq’s development and transition to democracy will be more efficient and enduring if it is prescribed and led by Iraqis. To date, CSP has engaged nearly 50,000 Iraq youth in over 100 different CSP-sponsored sports and arts programs, including soccer competitions, poetry festivals, t-wall painting, and dramatic presentations, as well as facilitated more harmonious communities through civic educationoriented activities and rehabilitation of public facilities where Iraqis can interact peacefully. Education and Training CSP engages unemployed Iraqi males age 17-25 and other groups at high risk for recruitment into insurgency by enrolling them in youth activities and/or providing them with training and employment. CSP also encourages enrollment of women, particularly unemployed widows. The Employment Generation and Youth (EGY) program under CSP has been widely embraced by Iraqis nationwide, with enrollment numbers growing at an increasingly rapid pace. Training and employment activities include valuable hands-on skills training in construction and nonconstruction trades, as well as apprenticeship opportunities for graduates and follow-on longterm job placement assistance; all aimed at increasing sustainable employment and economic stability. IRD’s Department of State funded Cultural Heritage Program (CHP) will develop the professional capacity for Iraq’s museum staff with a two-year professional development program. The program will target employees of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, the Iraq National Museum, and other museums. The aim is to build a cadre of professionals who may be employed as conservators, collection managers, registrars, and other experts necessary for an effectively functioning museum. This will be done in conjunction with the Field Museum of Natural History and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Infrastructure In effort to revitalize Iraqi communities, CSP implements public works programs such as community clean-up campaigns and small-scale infrastructure repair such as rehabilitation of schools, clinics, streets, business districts, and canals. CSP also renovates soccer fields, sports clubs, parks, and other recreational facilities to provide communities with a healthy environment to engage in social and athletic activities. CSP supports the agricultural economy through a variety of infrastructure and essential service projects including 16 irrigation channel restoration projects. These projects involve removing thick reeds, weeds and silt that accumulate and cause blockages throughout the irrigation channel networks. 28

IRD, through funding from the U.S. State Department, is helping the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity expand its capabilities to take on the challenge of tripling Iraq’s electricity generation capacity. The program will include finding qualified experts to support the Ministry of Electricity in planning, project management, and reporting; mounting a major public education campaign; teaching English to Iraqi lawyers working for the Ministry of Electricity; and facilitating exchange visits of Ministry of Electricity senior and mid-level managers to their counterparts’ power facilities in the United States. CHP will improve the professional environment in the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad. This includes rehabilitation of the museum infrastructure, design, and development of new collections storage facilities, improvements to museum gallery space and to the museum’s conservation laboratory. This component will be done in conjunction with the Walters Art Museum and the Winterthur Conservation Program. IRD’s HAI Program has created jobs and improved access to clean water through the repair of more than 15.5 kilometers of water supply pipe network, renovation of 28 water storage tanks, construction of a pump room, and the digging of wells. Health Care HAI operates 14 Mobile Medical Units (MMUs), which provide outpatient services, referrals, and screenings to more than 65,300 persons, with some 22,639 children below the age of five and 14,652 pregnant and reproductive-age women receiving vaccination and medication. The MMUs conduct health education training courses for more than 17,900 persons. IRD, with funding from the U.S. State Department, is supporting reconciliation and conflict mitigation efforts, helping build national unity, and strengthening the foundation of development initiatives by improving the mental health of Iraqis across geographic and sectarian boundaries. The $3 million Iraq Mental Health Initiative (IMHI) will work with trauma and other conflictaffected victims, including female self-immolation victims, drug users, children and internally displaced people in six of Iraq’s Governorates— Baghdad, Basra, Dohuk, Erbil, Ninewa, and Suleymaniya. Refugee and Migration Services IRD has been awarded multiple programs from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration at the U.S. Department of State to increase access to health care and livelihoods for the most marginalized individuals among the refugee population in Amman. The Strategic Health Support Programs serve predominately women-headed households in poor neighborhoods of Amman to cover basic health, mother and child, and post-traumatic stress disorder care. The Community Based Support Program (CBSP) is providing social inclusion, income generation, and vocational training opportunities for the most vulnerable of Iraqi families in Amman, Irbid and Zarqa.

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International Rescue Committee US Contact Samantha Feinstein Program Assistant, Middle East 122 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10168-1289 Tel: 212-551-3516 Fax: 212-551-3185 Email: [email protected] Website: www.theIRC.org

Regional Contact Amanya Michael Ebye Regional Director Tel: + 962 6 5937308/9 Fax: + 963 6 585 0884 E-mail: [email protected] HQ Media Contact: Melissa Winkler Communications Director Tel: 212-551-0972, 646-734-0305 E-mail: [email protected]

Introduction to International Rescue Committee The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading private nonsectarian nonprofit organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict for 75 years. IRC is committed to freedom, human dignity and self-reliance. This commitment is reflected in well planned global emergency relief, rehabilitation services, resettlement assistance and advocacy for refugees.

International Rescue Committee in the Region IRC returned to the Middle East in 2007 in response to the needs of Iraqis displaced by violent conflict. In Iraq, Jordan and Syria, IRC works with local governments and NGOs to help ensure that the rights and fundamental needs of refugees and others affected by the conflict are met. IRC programs in the Middle East are implemented through emergency relief, education and child protection, violence against women, health and environmental health, protection and promotion of rights programs. Emergency Relief In Jordan, IRC supported CARE to provide cash assistance and material support to Iraqi refugees in 2008. IRC is now working in partnership with Jordan Red Crescent (JRC) to deliver monthly and emergency cash assistance to extremely vulnerable Iraqi refugees in Zarqa, Irbid and Madaba. In 2008, IRC also worked in cooperation with local partners to provide winter assistance to families in Jordan and Iraq in 2008. Education and Child Protection In Jordan, IRC supported Questscope to carry out informal education services for Iraqi refugee and host community children and youth in 2008, and currently supports the informal education activities of the Jordan River Foundation. 1,200 children and youth have benefited from these programs in East Amman, Irbid and Zarqa. 30

In Iraq, IRC’s education programs have thus far reached 4,000 students in Erbil, Suleimaniyah, Najaf and Tarmiyah through classroom reconstruction, child-friendly spaces, and Parent Teacher Association capacity building. IRC is now preparing to expand activities in 12 schools in Baghdad and the contested areas, to additionally include developing informal education programs, promoting healing classrooms approach, carrying out accelerated learning programs for out of school youth, and implementing information technology training programs for youth. IRC's education programs in Syria provide academic support for 1,300 children struggling to stay in school and perform at grade level as well as those who have been excluded from school and need a transitional program to return. 10,000 primary school students will benefit indirectly from improved and increased learning spaces in 10 schools hosting Iraqi refugee children in Damascus. IRC has trained 51 teachers working directly with student beneficiaries to better address the students’ needs. IRC has also seconded a staff member to the UNHCR to support the Syrian Ministry of Education and to design remedial education and psychosocial programs for Iraqi refugees. Approximately 15 Ministry of Education staff providing administrative, technical, and supervisory support have been trained through IRC’s program in Syria. Thousands of students will benefit from improved and increased learning spaces through the construction of extra classrooms in 10 schools currently hosting Iraqi refugee children. The IRC’s Education program addresses a critical gap in assistance in Syria, where few international agencies are operational. Violence Against Women In Syria, IRC addresses the psychosocial and protection needs of Iraqi women and girl survivors and those at-risk of gender-based violence through seconding a Gender-Based Violence Advisor to UNHCR. Through her work, 100 UNHCR, partner staff and case workers are being trained to help them identify GBV cases and refer cases to appropriate services. IRC Syria is also about to initiate a livelihoods program that will target 2,000 vulnerable refugees in Syria with a focus on young girls and women. In Jordan, IRC, in partnership with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) and the Jordan Public Security Directorate’s Family Protection Department (FPD), addresses the problems of violence against women and improves the wellbeing of women though awareness raising, training and project coordination. Through a capacity building program, 20 NGOs, government agencies and CBOs, and at least 80 police and social workers are being trained by JRF and FPD on best practices to improve the quality of VAW-related services as well as the new law against domestic violence. IRC also works to establish sustainable community-based case services to assist women and girl survivors of VAW in East Amman to access crucial psychosocial, legal, medical, or other services. In Northern Iraq, IRC is helping women survivors and those at risk of gender-based violence by 1) improving the capacity of local service providers (NGO and Governmental) to respond to survivors’ psychosocial, legal, safety/security, and medical needs through training, mentorship, linkages, and NGO service sub-grants; 2) improving local capacity to design strategic VAW prevention programs, utilizing the same methodologies; and 3) improving coordination amongst 31

stakeholders through facilitating a working group, providing technical support and advocacy. To ensure greatest impact, the project focuses on assessment, outreach and services at the grassroots level, as well as at wider district and governorate levels. The project’s capacity building, coordination, and advocacy also focus on improving planning and service delivery, and influencing behavior and decision making, at both grassroots and policy levels. Health and Environmental Health In Iraq, IRC’s water and sanitation program has thus far improved the health and hygiene of 13,000 IDPs in Ninewa and Suleimaniyah governorates in Iraq through rehabilitation of water systems, construction of sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion activities. IRC also recently refurbished and expanded a regional blood bank in Wassit province to help meet the demand for donated blood for urgent medical procedures. IRC also supports Terre Des Hommes to provide support to Iraqis in Jordan and Syria with physical and mental handicaps, and is also preparing to distribute needed equipment and materials for disabled Iraqis in Baghdad. Protection and Promotion of rights In Iraq, IRC’s protection programs benefit refugees, IDPs, returnees, and stateless people in cooperation with UNHCR. These vulnerable populations receive assistance through Protection Assistance Centers (PACs) that are run by IRC in Baghdad, Anbar, and Babylon governorates. The PACs provide useful information and services about their rights and entitlements as well as services available in the area. The centers provide legal information and referrals to other service providers to those in need of assistance that is not provided by the PAC. In Northern Iraq, IRC has a small project in the Makhmur Camp, where ethnic Kurds from Turkey reside, to assist with refugee access to services inside and outside the camp and to provide them with useful information on exist clearance procedures, safety tips for women and girls traveling and working outside of the camp, and basic refugee rights. IRC will also organize some healthy social activities for women and children to help improve their psychological health. Refugee and Migration Services IRC resettles Iraqis in each of its 22 resettlement sites with core funding from the Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services. In FY08 the number of Iraqis resettled by IRC for the first time eclipsed the number of any other individual resettlement population. IRC resettled over 2,000 Iraqis in FY08 and in FY09 expects to resettle nearly 3,000. Upon arrival in the U.S., Iraqis are provided intensive case management services and a core services support package which includes: safe, affordable and high quality housing; food, clothing and transportation assistance; appropriate referral to medical consultations, community services and public assistance; support with family educational needs; and comprehensive employment services that ensure Iraqis achieve early self-sufficiency. In addition, each IRC office administers a diverse programming portfolio to complement the provision of core services afforded arriving Iraqis.

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Advocacy and communication IRC programs in the Middle East use field and programming experiences to advocate for refugees and communities affected by violent conflict. Through the IRC networks in the US and Europe, IRC has contributed to raising the profile of displaced Iraqis. In March 2008, IRC issued a widely-cited report: “Five Years Later, A Hidden Crisis,” which exposes the dire situation of Iraqi refugees and advocates for increased assistance. Presentations on Capitol Hill and a media campaign have also garnered the attention of lawmakers and the general public to the urgent needs. IRC working with other advocacy networks and coalitions in the Middle East continues to advocate on behalf of refugees, IDPs and conflict affected persons.

Iraqi refugee girls in Jordan take part in computer education supported by IRC Photo Courtesy of IRC

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Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) US Contact Dr. Mujahid Al-Fayadh, CEO 17300 W. 10 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075 Phone: 001 248-424-7493 Email: [email protected]

Field Contact Iraq Dr. Adil Al-Nuaimi Hay Jaamia Al-Rabee Street Town (Mahallah) 635 Road (Zuqaq) 37, House (Dar) 15 Baghdad, Iraq Phone: (964) 1 7788292 Email: [email protected] Syria Mr. Mohammad Anwar Qasim Al-Jeser Al-Abyad Zouhir bin Abi Sulma Street Building no. 11/70, 2nd floor PO box 4272 Damascus, Syria Phone: (963) 11 3348595 Email: [email protected] Jordan Mr. Walid Qanah Jabel El Hussain – Jamal Aldin Alafghani St. – Kareem Center 2nd floor #3 PO Box 923458 Amman, Jordan Phone: (962) 6 4645468 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to LIFE Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) is a nonprofit organization deeply rooted in the belief that saving lives should be a priority of all mankind. For this reason, we are dedicated to alleviating human suffering regardless of race, color, religion, or cultural background. LIFE works to provide assistance to people across the globe by offering humanitarian services such as health care and education, as well as catering to casualties of social and economic turmoil, victims of hunger, natural disasters, war, and other catastrophes.

LIFE in the Region LIFE’s objectives in the Region are:  To provide food to those who are suffering from hunger  To provide training to those suffering from the social and economic turmoil in their region 34

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To provide emergency assistance to victims of war and natural disasters To develop and maintain a basic healthcare structure of clinics by providing low cost healthcare throughout the region To support the work of the Red Crescent Societies in the region through provision of medical assistance to their health facilities and to assist them in their emergency operations during times of disaster or war in the region To enhance learning through the distribution of higher education books and materials to colleges and universities in the region To improve the learning capabilities of primary and secondary school students through construction of schools and provision of textbooks and educational materials to students in the region. To supply clean drinking water to areas in emergent need through water tankering To rehabilitate water treatment plants, analyze water purity and conduct training for water treatment plant operators to ensure that the population receives the best quality drinking water to their homes To educate the population in good health and hygiene practices and distribute hygiene kits when available to IDPs and refugees To improve sewage and sanitation pump stations to prevent sewage back-up into residential homes and neighborhoods To listen to the needs of women and to improve their lives to the best of our ability when working on community development/neighborhood improvement projects

Photo Courtesy of LIFE Orphans “Back to School” distribution

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Life for Relief & Development’s Activities in Iraq from 2006 to 2009 Health Sector LIFE for Relief and Development distributed 670 tons of medicines and medical supplies to hospitals and medical centers throughout Iraq. We opened a medical clinic in Baghdad and sponsored the treatment of 2 Iraqi children in Jordan. We also sponsored and organized a circumcision day for over 400 baby boys in Baghdad, Diyala and Najad and we donated a generator to the Al-Ard clinic in Baghdad. Education Sector LIFE distributed scientific and medical books to 13 universities throughout all of Iraq. We distributed 15,500 school bags to elementary school students in Baghdad, Basrah, Diyala and Kirkuk. We established 9 elementary school libraries in Baghdad, Wasit, Diyala, Mosul, Kirkuk and Anbar in partnership with Spirit of America. We distributed 150 whiteboards to kindergartens and elementary schools throughout all of Iraq and we donated 200 scientific calculators to 24 educational and health institutions throughout all of Iraq. Social Programs LIFE distributed 16,100 items of clothing to the poor in Baghdad, Anbar, Mosul, Missan, Basrah and Diyala. We also distributed shoes to the poor in Mosul, Sulimaniya, Kirkuk and Salahuddin. We distributed fabrics to sewing centers in Baghdad, Hilla and Anbar and we distributed toys to poor children in Baghdad, Mosul, Diyala, Hilla and Basrah. Orphan Program LIFE sponsors 500 orphans by providing them with food, clothing, medical care and other items in Baghdad, Mosul and Diyala. LIFE conducts 5 festivals for over 3000 orphans twice yearly in Najaf, Anbar, Diyala, Baghdad, Mosul and Basrah. LIFE sponsored and equipped the library and kitchen at the Wardat Al-Hayat Kindergarten in Baghdad. Some of LIFE’s sponsored orphans attended the Ashinga International Summer Camp in Japan. Handicapped LIFE supported the Iraqi Handicapped Society for 2 years paying the rent for the building and furnishings. We gave crutches and clothing to 700 handicapped Iraqi’s on World Handicapped Day. Our staff distributed 280 wheelchairs to disabled people in 14 governorates. Women’s Program LIFE constructed and supported 10 sewing training centers in Baghdad, Erbil, Najaf and Salahuddin. We organized a capacity building training workshop for Iraqi teen girls in Baghdad. Nutrition Sector LIFE distributed 3945 tons of food baskets, 58 tons of baby food and 65 tons of meat to Iraqi families throughout all of Iraq. Water/Sanitation LIFE rehabilitated the Halabsa water treatment facility in Anbar and the Hamdan Jisr water treatment facility in the Abul Khaseeb valley in Basrah. We also distributed 400 water purifiers 36

to Baghdad, Anbar, Najaf, Thi-Qar, Diyala and Basrah. We distributed 200 cases of water purification tablets to residents throughout all of Iraq and we delivered 180,000 liters of water by water tanker to over 9,000 families for one month in Al-Mikdadiya Diyala. Emergency Relief/IDPs LIFE distributed emergency food, blankets and hygiene kits to IDPs in Mosul and Diyala. We distributed blankets, food, oil heaters, oil lamps and cleaning supplies to IDPs in Fallujah, Najaf, Salahuddin, Mosul, Diyala and Hilla. We also distributed clothing to IDPs in Baghdad and shoes to IDPs in Mosul, Sulimaniya, Kirkuk and Salahuddin. IDPs in Al’Madin, Baghdad received gas space heaters and motorized fans. IDPs in Al Jamia and Al Adl, Baghdad received a one month supply of food in partnership with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society. LIFE provided food baskets to 250 IDP families in Najaf and Baghdad. We distributed food, hygiene kits and other items to 150 IDP families in Sadr City, Baghdad and emergency food to 200 IDP families in Mosul. We also provided medicine and medical supplies to the Ali Ibn Talib Hospital in Sadr City Baghdad to treat IDP medical cases. Syria LIFE Syria distributed food to 1050 refugee families and meat to 1290 refugee families living in Damascus. We distributed medicine to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent hospitals and clinics providing medicine to over 5000 patients. We gifted the Syrian Arab Red Crescent a mobile clinic that has been used to treat over 10,000 Iraqi refugee patients. We distributed new clothing to 1000 refugees in Damascus and we paid for the medical treatment of an ill Iraqi refugee boy. We are also constructing a cancer research center in Hama that care for Iraqi refugee cancer patients. Cooperative efforts with local, international, or governmental agencies:  UNICEF  UNDP  UNOCHA  UN Habitat  AmeriCares Foundation  Brother’s Brother Foundation  American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)  Mercy Corps  International Aid  American Friends Services Committee  The Wheelchair Foundation  Veteran’s for Peace  Children of Abraham  The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints  Islamic Development Bank – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  Qatar Charity – Doha, Qatar  Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Establishment – Dubai, UAE 37

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Sharjah Charity House – Sharjah, UAE United Arab Emirates Red Crescent – Abu Dhabi, UAE Al Rahma Charity – Dubai, UAE

Special concerns: LIFE for Relief and Development staff throughout Iraq, in Jordan and Syria always meet with local and national authorities to discuss LIFE’s plans for project implementation and in-kind distributions to local residents and local institutions. Security is definitely an issue for LIFE staff throughout Iraq and we work at all times on high security alert with our security system ready for activation on a moment’s notice.

Photo Courtesy of LIFE Emergency distribution Salaman Pak

Photo Courtesy of LIFE LIFE Diyala Clinic

Photo Courtesy of LIFE Missan Water treatment plant rehabilitation

Photo Courtesy of LIFE Iraqi IDP distribution

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Mercy Corps US Contact Jill Hicks Program Officer, Middle East, DC 1730 Rhode Island Ave, NW Suite 809 Washington, DC 20036 [email protected]

Field Contact David Holdridge Regional Program Director Baghdad, Iraq Phone: +962 796 111 689 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to Mercy Corps Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1.5 billion in assistance to people in 106 nations. Supported by headquarters offices in North America and Europe, the agency's unified global programs employ 3,500 staff worldwide and reach nearly 16.4 million people in more than 35 countries.

Mercy Corps in the Region Community Action Programs Since 2003 Mercy Corps has provided development assistance in South Central Iraq through the USAID-funded Community Action Program (CAP). Mercy Corps has invested heavily in the fostering of a vibrant civil society and increasing citizen-government interaction including creating approximately 370 community action groups (CAGs) throughout Iraq's Shia heartland. Once established, these groups are given the capacity to direct investments in social infrastructure improvements which they have identified and prioritized, such as rehabilitating schools, constructing clinics and improving community marketplaces. Through CAP, Mercy Corps goes beyond bricks and mortar by including development initiatives that enhance infrastructure work with transformative community based activities. These initiatives include but are not limited to the following:  Empowering persons with disabilities to advocate for their own rights;  Increasing access to information and communication technology (ICT) for persons at all levels of society;  Promoting women to be full partners in development, which includes a women's education program that provides basic education and rights awareness classes;  Promoting creativity and community engagement among youth through activities such as theatre productions, art lessons, awareness campaigns and sports;

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Under CAP III Mercy Corps continues to focus on creating an informed and engaged Iraqi citizenry, and under this new phase of the program we are also working more explicitly to build the capacity of local government to meet the articulated needs of their communities. By bringing together CAGs and local council officials, Mercy Corps is helping local government in Southern Iraq to implement their own development plans and ensure community input into future plans and budget requests. The program also provides expert training to local district and sub-district councils, on community outreach, project management and oversight, budget preparation, advocacy and the implications of the Provincial Powers Act. Emergency Response Programs The bombing of the Al Askari Shrine in Samarra in February 2006 caused massive displacement, both within and outside of Iraq. In response, Mercy Corps increased its emergency humanitarian operations, particularly in parts of Northern Iraq and the Tigris River Valley, which have received large numbers of displaced families. Working in local communities with funding from the US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and UNICEF, Mercy Corps aims to ease the suffering of the displaced and provide assistance to overstretched host communities by increasing the outreach of health services, helping to ensure a safe supply of water and appropriate sanitation, providing essential non-food items as well as helping youth and families to deal with the stress that conflict and displacement can place on them. In highly volatile and insecure areas, Mercy Corps operates through a system of focal points who liaise with local government officials, NGOs and community leaders in their own communities to implement assistance projects. Through this system, Mercy Corps is able to deliver aid, even in the most turbulent times. In addition, Mercy Corps is partnering with the World Food Program, the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement and local Iraqi organizations to provide supplemental food assistance to internally displaced Iraqis. Through this targeted program, Mercy Corps is providing oil, wheat and pulses to over 230,000 Iraqis in six Iraqi governorates. The program aims to alleviate the suffering and financial hardship of displaced families who have lost access to the Public Distribution System (PDS) after leaving their home governorates. Refugees, Displaced and Vulnerable Populations Since 2007, the Department of State, through the Office of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) has funded Mercy Corps projects in Jordan targeting refugees from Iraq with educational and integration programming. Mercy Corps is also a UNHCR implementing partner in Jordan which funds programs that include group counseling sessions with Iraqi refugees, recreational activities for youth and also focuses on empowering Iraqis with disabilities and their families, preparing Independent Living Plans, providing equipment, such as wheel chairs, when necessary, facilitating peer groups, enrollment at special education centers and provision of rehabilitation services. Projects similar to our work funded by PRM were also begun in Syria in 40

March of 2008 that are addressing the educational and vocational skill training needs among the Iraqi refugee populations in the country. Peace-Building and Conflict Management Mercy Corps is committed to encouraging the peaceful resolution of conflict and building tolerance among all ethnic and sectarian groups in Iraq. With funding from the Department of State's Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative, Mercy Corps is working across ethnic and sectarian divides in areas contested between Kurds and Arabs and other ethnic groups to build the capacity of female leaders and women's organizations to act as peace builders in an area fraught with tensions over the future. Under past CAP activities, Mercy Corps has provided negotiations training, conducted by international experts, for over 95 Iraqi leaders from South Iraq. This training enabled them to become expert mediation and negotiation trainers themselves. Participants of this training have gone on to train more than 750 additional Iraqis in conflict management skills. In addition, they have used their skills to successfully negotiate peaceful settlements to conflicts that have benefited more than 72,000 Iraqis including land disputes, more effective provision of services by the government and a peaceful surrender of Mehdi Militia members to the Iraqi Army. Currently, Mercy Corps is implementing a State Department funded program that will build on the initial negotiation skill training activities. This program targets local community leaders across Iraq, increasing local community capacity to address their needs in situations of competing objectives. The project intends to enhance the community’s ability to minimize the negative impacts of these disputes, and rather build upon them toward positive ends. Mercy Corps’ Global Youth Connectivity (GYC) program educates and engages young people across the world through the use of ICT training and the use of the internet as a forum through which youth can express themselves, educate others, and promote peaceful dialogues. The program focuses on virtual exchanges between American and Arab youth, encouraging both to use the forum as a way to foster their critical thinking skills, empower each other to become agents of peaceful change, and assist youth in their goals of building secure and peaceful communities around the world. Location of Projects or Programs: Mercy Corps has offices and programs in the following governorates of Iraq: Dahuk, Basrah, Baghdad, Muthanna, Dhi-Qar, Maysan, Qadissiyah, Erbil, Suleimaniyah, Salah ad Din, Wassit and Tameem. Mercy Corps maintains an office in Amman, Jordan, to support its Iraq activities and Iraq related programming in Jordan and Syria targeting refugees. Funding Sources: (1) USAID  Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (2) USDS  Department of Human Rights and Labor  Office of Population, Refugees and Migration 41

 Targeted Development Programs (3) UN  Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees  International Children’s Fund (4) WFP Scale of Programs: CAP- To date Mercy Corps has invested nearly $110 million in Iraqi communities which, together with over $12 million in community contributions, has been used to complete over 1,500 projects and transformative development activities and create nearly 24,000 short-term jobs through the Community Action Program. Peace Building and Conflict Management – Mercy Corps is currently implementing $3.3 million in conflict management and peace building programming in Iraq under DRL funding, targeting community leaders in governorates across the nation. Emergency Response- Mercy Corps has programmed over $55 million in activities and assisted over two million people through their emergency response actions. Cooperative Efforts: Mercy Corps partners with a variety of international and national organizations throughout Iraq including: CHF International, ACDI/VOCA, International Medical Corps (IMC), and Save the Children. Mercy Corps makes every effort to utilize national organizations within Iraq to carry out programming efforts. Our Iraqi partners stretch from the north to the south of the country and allow Mercy Corps to conduct programming and activities at a level that would not be possible without their assistance and support.

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Relief International US Contact Elizabeth Walker Vice President of Programs 1100 H Street, NW Suite 610 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 639-8660

Introduction to Relief International Relief International (RI) RI) is a humanitarian non non-profit profit agency that provides emergency relief, rehabilitation, development assistance, and program services to vulnerable communities worldwide. RI is solely dedicated to reducing human suffering and is non-political non and nonsectarian rian in its mission. RI's mission is to:  Serve the needs of the most vulnerable - particularly women and children, victims of natural disasters and civil conflicts, and the poor - with a specific focus on neglected groups and cases.  Provide holistic, multi-sectoral, sectoral, sustainable, and pro pro-poor poor programs that bridge emergency relief and long-term term development at the grassroots level.  Empower communities by building capacity and by maximizing local resources in both program design and implementation.  Promote self-reliance, reliance, peaceful coexistence, and reintegration of marginalized communities.  Protect lives from physical injury or death and/or psychological trauma where present.  Uphold the highest professional norms in program delivery, including accountability accountabilit to beneficiaries and donors alike.

Relief International in the Region Relief International began operations in southern Iraq in April 2003 and within one year had built and repaired key infrastructure in the educational, agricultural, municipal and water-supply wat sectors - areas that had been damaged during the war and from years of neglect. Since then, RI’s work in Iraq has expanded to include emergency assistance, microfinance, conflict mitigation, legal aid, capacity-building building programs, and other commu community nity development activities.

Photo Courtesy of Relief International

Photo Courtesy of Relief International 43

Sectors of Work in Iraq Relief International has and continues to work in a number of sectors in Iraq including:  Agriculture  Business Development, Cooperatives and Microcredit  Civil Society / Labor Union Development  Emergency Relief  Health and Nutrition  Human Rights / Peace and Conflict Resolution  Infrastructure  Rural Development  Water and Sanitation  Legal Aid Center Support and Legal Service Provision Scale of Programs Relief International’s current portfolio in Iraq is $33.5 million. Programs include: Legal Assistance RI’s Justice and Protection Center program aims to advance the rule of law and the protection of human and civil rights throughout Iraq by fortifying them at the local level. In addition to providing information to the public at large through awareness-raising campaigns, the program provides free legal consultation and representation to Iraqis – over 750 to date – whose rights have been violated. In an effort to build the capacity of local civil society, the centers also provide small grant opportunities to local NGOs with similar or complementary missions. Currently, RI operates Justice & Protection Centers in seven governorates. Labor Union Support RI’s Union Empowerment program seeks to support the renewal and growth of Iraq’s independent labor movement which was nearly eradicated during the era of Sadaam Hussein. Through training and technical assistance, RI is working to build the capacity of trade unions and professional associations so that they may develop into strong non-governmental actors, enabling them to support a democratic, free, and safe political environment. To date, RI has trained over 100 senior-level union leaders in areas such as leadership, membership development and improved constituent communications. In cooperation with Iraq’s major labor federations, RI is providing informational workshops to tens of thousands of Iraqis to educate them about the purpose of unions and the basics of union membership. RI also provides small grant opportunities to unions and professional associations and has established a Union Resource Center in Baghdad to promote the study of labor relations. Conflict Mitigation The USAID-funded Iraq Community-Based Conflict Mitigation (ICCM) program has conducted community conflict assessments in 62 Iraqi communities and followed up those assessments with 200 community projects aimed at reducing tensions or mitigating existing conflict. In addition, RI has assisted in the creation of a formalized network of academic, media and civil society professionals registered as the Iraq Peace Foundation. A third component of the ICCM 44

program integrates youth into the peace and conflict mitigation process through training and small grants. The program has resulted in tangible cases of groups that were formerly in conflict with each other resolving their differences as well as the reduction of tensions in Iraqi communities. Microfinance Lending The goal of RI’s microfinance program in Iraq is to address the demand and need for broader access to credit by increasing the working poor’s access to financial services. By providing lowinterest commercial and home improvement loans, RI is promoting micro and small business development in Iraq and helping Iraqis improve their living conditions. With the assistance of the USAID-funded Izdihar and Tijara initiatives, Relief International has disbursed more than $13 million to nearly 10,000 borrowers since the program’s inception in 2006. In addition, RI has facilitated the creation of a sustainable local microfinance lending institution which has disbursed $1 million in loans in less than one year of operation. Relief and Reconstruction Since 2005, Relief International has been partnering with the United Nations in Iraq to address the emergency health, nutrition, sanitation, educational, and protection needs of displaced Iraqis and other vulnerable populations. RI has provided assistance to tens of thousands of families living in Iraq’s central and southern governorates through “Quick Impact Projects” which have included the rehabilitation of shelters and schools, the repair and extension of water and sanitation systems, mobile health clinics, and other urgently needed interventions. RI has also distributed over 10,000 kits containing basic living materials such as blankets, water storage containers, and hygiene supplies. Additional activities include livelihoods trainings, awareness campaigns and assessments conducted on behalf of the UN. Funding Sources: Relief International has previously received or currently receives funding in Iraq from the US State Department Bureaus of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM); Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL); and Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the United Nations (UNICEF, UNHCR, and UNOCHA); and the Louis Berger Group. Location of Offices: Relief International has representation in each of Iraq’s eighteen governorates. Relief International operates Justice and Protection Centers in Erbil, Kirkuk, Anbar, Baghdad, Babil, Wassit and Missan. Microfinance lending is conducted through offices in Sulaymaniyah, Missan, Wassit, Karbala, Basra and Babil. Reconstruction and relief work in central and southern Iraq is currently done through offices in Missan, Wassit, and Karbala.

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Photo Courtesy of Relief International

Photo Courtesy of Relief Internat International

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Save the Children, USA US Contact Nicole Licata Grant, Middle East and Eurasia Associate Director for Operations Save the Children, USA 54 Wilton Road Westport, Connecticut 06880 USA Phone: 203-221-4111 Email: [email protected] www.savethechildren.org

Field Contacts Iraq Jonathan Cunliffe, Country Director Mob Iraq.: +964 771 016 9475 Tel Jordan.: +962 6 565 7411/2/3 ext 310 Fax Jordan: +962 6 565 7414 Mob Jordan: +962 795 424 696 Email: [email protected] Jordan Displaced Iraqis Program: Richard Mawer Country Director PO Box 9363 Amman 11191, Jordan Tel.: +962 6 565 7411/2/3 Fax: +962 6 565 7414 Mob: +962 799 080 105 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to Save the Children, USA Save the Children is the leading, independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. We are a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, comprising 27 national Save the Children organizations working in more than 120 countries to ensure the well-being of children. In order to continue to accomplish sustainable change, Save the Children has identified the following four Priority Goals for children. Here are just some examples of ways that, with your help, we have accomplished these goals in the communities we serve. 1. Children are protected from harm through physical and psychosocial assistance. Save the Children provided emergency assistance to 3 million children and families in 26 countries in 2008. 2. Children learn and develop with age-appropriate care and education. In the last year, we expanded the number of early childhood programs to more than 6,200 sites in over 15 countries, including 60 in the U.S.

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3. Children are healthy and well-nourished. In 40 countries worldwide 9 million children under 5 die each year. Our community-based model for health care delivery is helping to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children who might otherwise die from treatable or preventable causes. 4. Children thrive in food-secure and economically viable households. To help adolescents transition from school to the workforce, we have initiated training programs in 10 countries, and made loans for youth-led businesses. By tailoring our programs to achieve one or more of these goals we have evolved into an effective international relief and development organization, providing communities with a hand up, not a handout.

Photo Courtesy of Save the Children

Save the Children in the Region Funding sources: Iraq: (not specified) Jordan: UNICEF, UNHCR, World Bank, Japan Platform (JPF)/Save the Children Japan, BPRM Scale of programs: Iraq: US$800,000, - 10,000 beneficiaries Bniyat Program is a Child Protection Program to ensure improved opportunities for Iraqi Children aged 6-14 for healthy cognitive, physical and psychosocial development. Save the Children has started the program in January 2009 aiding Iraqi children and their families, and teachers in public schools with the skills and services that provide children with improved resiliency, improved opportunities for recreation and improved psychosocial support in schools, communities and in domestic environment. The program has targeted approximately 10,000 48

Iraqi children aged 6-14 delivering its activities through 15 public schools, partnering with 6 local NGOs and Departments of Ministry of Education in Iraq. These include: capacity building of school teachers on psychosocial caring and child safe space to provide protective environment for children and build a multi-faceted community led child protection support and network. Jordan: US $3,000,000 – approximately 8,000 Iraqis/refugees (15,673 total Iraqi and Jordanian as part of the program is actually system strengthening so it includes Iraqi and Jordanian children) The goal of Jordan’s overall Ta’leem program is that vulnerable Iraqi children, adolescents and youth--along with their host country counterparts living in Jordan--are protected and have access to quality education that is relevant to their present, as well as future, circumstances. The program focuses on three main age groups: early childhood age (ages 3-6), basic/primary education (ages 6-14) and adolescents/youth (ages 14-24). In each of the three age groups, the focus is on access to quality formal (and where appropriate non-formal) educational opportunities, and improved teaching, learning, protection and participation outcomes in schools and non-formal learning environments for Iraqi children, adolescents and youth, by providing training teachers, caregivers on Safe Spaces approaches. Cooperative efforts with other local, international, or governmental agencies In Iraq, Save the Children cooperates with other international NGOs and relevant UN agencies where appropriate. In Jordan, Save the Children cooperates with the Government of Jordan and relevant Ministries, as well as other local and international NGOs and relevant UN agencies where appropriate. Special concerns in Iraq:  Security remains a major concern and challenge to addressing effectively the needs of the most vulnerable children in Iraq.  Complex new Draft NGO laws will severely hamper the independence and operational ability of INGOs in Iraq.

Photo Courtesy of Save the Children 49

Photo Courtesy of Save the Children

Photo Courtesy of Save the Children

Photo Courtesy of Save the Children 50

Women for Women International US Contact Karen Sherman 4455 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20008

Field Contact Nashat Abdullah Phone: 011.964.7901.669.950; 011.964.7801.267.051 Email: [email protected]

Introduction to Women for Women International Women for Women International (WfWI) provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and selfsufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. The organization mobilizes women to change their lives through a holistic approach that addresses the unique needs of women in conflict and post-conflict environments. It has developed special programming and infrastructure that teaches women survivors of war the skills to become economically selfsufficient and active in their communities. Classes address political activism, social empowerment, economic self-sufficiency and psychological and physical health. WfWI believes that women can create lasting change within their own communities when they can sustain an income; become decision-makers in their homes, communities and countries; are physically and psychologically well; and when they have built or rebuilt social networks and safety nets. The organization has been actively assisting women in doing so for the last 16 years, in counties ranging from Nigeria to Afghanistan. WfWI began operations in Iraq in 2004. Over 4,000 women have been served since program inception.

Women for Women International in the Region Women for Women International’s goals in the region include promoting active citizenship and creating income generation opportunities and social inclusion. This is accomplished through: Sponsorship, Rights Awareness and Life Skills Training, a Men’s Leadership Training Program, and Vocational, Technical Skills, and Business Development Training. Programmatic Sectors  Income Generation Opportunities: Vocational training in various fields to facilitate employment and self-employment  Business Skill Development: upon graduation, participants are provided with a training kit that allows them the ability to create a small business in their selected training field  Education: Rights Awareness, Health, Men’s Leadership Program  Women’s Development: Rights Awareness and Life Skills Training  Human Rights: Rights Awareness and Men’s Leadership Training

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Location of Projects or Programs:  Baghdad Funding Sources  Jolie-Pitt Foundation  Spindrift Scale of Programs  Over 4,000 women served in 5 years of operation  16 staff members  2009 Annual Budget - $508,583 Cooperative Efforts  Currently, there are no cooperative efforts or partnerships Special Concerns Security for in-country staff, program participants, is of continued concern despite relative stability. Program operations and travel will be suspended if security of staff and participants reaches a critical point.

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