Germany ups Reconstruction Assistance to 41m Euros


November 12, 2016


The Iraqi military forces and the Counter‑ISIL Coalition are driving Islamic State in Iraq further and further back. The people there urgently need help to overcome the impact of destruction and terrorism and enable internal refugees to return to their homes.

The German Federal Foreign Office has significantly extended its engagement and is providing assistance for stabilising Iraq to the tune of around 41 million euros in 2016.


Creating opportunities, improving prospects at home

Establishing crucial infrastructure and supplying essential provisions are top priorities for reconstruction assistance in Iraq. Mines and booby‑traps also need to be removed.

In addition, reconciliation measures are helping to restore public security and create a space in which conflicts can be resolved by political means.

Of the 41 million euros the Federal Foreign Office is using to help stabilise Iraq, a total of 13.5 million euros is being channelled to the Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the key instrument in this sphere.


Preparation of humanitarian assistance for refugees from Mosul

With the start of the military offensive on Mosul in mid‑October, concern for the civilian population fleeing from the beleaguered city is mounting.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to flee and they need accommodation and medical care. In readiness for this humanitarian challenge, the German Red Cross has prepared drinking water and hygiene items for up to 54,000 families, as well as more than 48,000 blankets, kitchen sets, kerosene stoves and water canisters, with German financial support.

To date, Germany has earmarked a total of 13.6 million euros via various organisations to care for the Mosul refugees.


Immediate emergency care for liberated cities

One example of immediate emergency care for the cities liberated from IS is the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq.

It was severely hit by IS brutality in the form of massacres, forced displacement and even enslavement of religious minorities.

After liberation by the Peshmerga in early 2016, Sinjar was almost completely destroyed. Nonetheless, the refugees wanted to return to their homes.

On behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Iraq is providing materials for immediate emergency care in the wake of liberation.

To this end urgently needed bulldozers, water carriers and power generators were brought into the town only a few weeks after Sinjar was regained.


Strengthening confidence in security organs

Iraqi people’s faith in state institutions has been severely undermined. Before they are willing to return to their homes in the long term, a fundamental confidence that the security organs will respect rule‑of‑law principles needs to be restored.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is establishing a citizen‑friendly community police force with financial support from Germany. Police stations are being renovated or newly equipped, technical training is being provided and vehicles supplied.

The focus of the Community Policing programme is on building and strengthening confidence through regular, close dialogue between security forces and the population, for instance through workshops in holding camps for internally displaced persons and joint further training courses for police officers, community representatives and citizens.

(Source: Auswärtiges Amt)


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