13-Nov-2016: Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been-newly displaced as a result of the current military offensive in Mosul. But even greater numbers of Iraqis, displaced since May as a result of conflict in Anbar Governorate, continue to live in very difficult conditions, unable to return home.

Many families have experienced multiple displacements. Continued insecurity, along with the destruction of homes and infrastructure, the high risk of death or injury as a result of explosive remnants of war, and lack of basic essential services, have been key obstacles preventing large-scale returns.

Thanks to generous support from the Government of Japan amounting to US$ 3 million, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency initiated timely projects to provide protection, legal and psychosocial support to displaced Iraqis in Anbar, as well as encouraging peace-building in communities. The Conflict Resolution and Resilience Building (C2RB) pilot project will assess the needs of displaced communities and encourage conflict-resolution. The initiative is taking place in camps, in out-of-camp areas as well as towns and villages where some people have begun returning home in Anbar Governorate, where more than a quarter of a million people have been displaced – including 85,000 who were displaced this year from Falluja and surrounding areas.

“Iraq has undergone multiple conflicts, leaving many people highly traumatised. We wanted to support to this important project to help kick-start efforts to re-build broken communities so that people can work for a better future”, said His Excellency Mr Fumio Iwai, Ambassador of Japan to Iraq.

“We hope this important initiative, generously supported by the Government of Japan, will be a starting point to bring together traumatised and divided communities and help to rebuild trust among them”, said Bruno Geddo, UNHCR’s Representative in Iraq.

“Communities have been torn apart as people have been exposed to extreme violence, forced or pressured to return home in some instances. The goal is for the project to create a nurturing environment and build better relations among families and communities who have undergone displacement and difficult conditions”, he added.

After several months of preparations, formal training of trainers begins next week on conflict resolution and peace building which will also benefit field monitors who will collect data. The trained staff will then begin holding training sessions with displaced and host communities until the end of the year.

UNHCR, also with emergency grant aid from the Government of Japan, has expanded its protection-monitoring capacity in camps and urban areas to reach 85,000 Iraqis who have been displaced by conflict in Falluja and surrounding areas. Through this work, households at risk and in need of specific assistance are identified and supported.

In addition, individual psychosocial support packages are being provided to 15,000 children and youth in the form of art therapy and recreational material. UNHCR is also preparing to distribute 15,000 hygiene kits, specifically designed for women and girls in Anbar.

Protection teams are also providing legal assistance for displaced families through documentation support and legal interventions. Replacing lost or damaged documentation is key in ensuring protection from arrest and detention and allowing freedom of movement, especially for young men and boys who face restrictions resulting from the complex security environment.

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For more information please contact:

Caroline Gluck This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +964 780 920 7286

Reem Suwaed This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +964 780 195 8468