Baghdad, 9 January 2024 – The Netherlands has announced the allocation of €48 million to support forcibly displaced people and host communities in Iraq through the PROSPECTS Partnership. The Ambassador of the Netherlands in Iraq, Hans Sandee, and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Ghulam Isaczai, launched the new phase of the programme today, alongside the country leads of the organizations involved in the partnerships.
The PROSPECTS programme, funded by the Netherlands, aims to provide services for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and their host communities in Iraq. It builds on the experience gained since 2019 and works closely with local and national authorities. The programme operates in eight different countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region. In Iraq, it brings together UNHCR, UNICEF, ILO, IFC, and the World Bank to enhance durable solutions.
The €48 million budget will be dedicated to programming in education and skills training, employment, protection, and critical infrastructure for refugees, IDPs, and host communities in Central and North Iraq over the next four years. The programme aims to achieve various targets, including the completion of primary and secondary education for over 155,000 people displaced by conflict and members of host communities. It also aims to retain over 250,000 individuals in primary and secondary education programs, offering acceleration education and early childhood education.
The partnership will prioritize access to market-relevant skills training for around 5,000 young people, with the goal of facilitating their smooth transition to employment. It will invest over €5.2 million in target areas to promote private sector development, creating economic opportunities, enhancing access to finance for entrepreneurs and cooperatives, and supporting promising sectors. Additionally, the partnership will focus on the green economy and support the creation of over 12,000 workdays for people displaced by conflict and host communities through labor-intensive approaches.
To enhance protection, approximately 40,000 refugees and asylum seekers will benefit from national civil status, identity, or legal status documentation, while 50,000 individuals will benefit from national specialized protective services, case management services, and mental health and psychosocial support. In terms of infrastructure, the partnership aims to enable 80,000 people displaced by conflict and host communities to access basic water services that are safe and readily available.
Ambassador Hans Sandee emphasized the Netherlands’ commitment to supporting refugees and IDPs in Iraq and addressing the challenges they face, such as job access, education, training, and civil documentation. The PROSPECTS programme will be extended to include activities related to water infrastructure and housing, aiming to improve the lives of displaced and host communities in Iraq.
Mr. Ghulam Isaczai, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, expressed appreciation for the continued support of the Netherlands and highlighted how the PROSPECTS programme enhances efforts to find durable solutions for conflict-affected IDPs in Iraq. He emphasized the importance of international programs and support to improve socio-economic conditions for the 1.1 million IDPs, 300,000 refugees, and 8,000 stateless persons in Iraq.
With the first four years of the PROSPECTS programme already yielding positive results, such as enrolling nearly 4,000 children from forcibly displaced communities in secondary education, providing micro-finance loans to over 130 refugee entrepreneurs, and assisting over 45,000 IDPs in obtaining civil documents, the continuation of international support remains crucial for Iraq’s affected populations.
The commitment of the Netherlands and the United Nations reflects the global call to end internal displacement worldwide, and their integrated approach aims to provide durable solutions for internally displaced people and their host communities in Iraq. With the allocation of €48 million, the PROSPECTS programme will play a vital role in improving the socio-economic conditions and prospects for a better future for those affected by displacement and conflict in Iraq.
