The United States is preparing to spend more money to provide more humanitarian aid to Iraq, after already providing about $800 million to the country since 2014.
The State Department said the U.S. would join forces with Canada, Germany and Japan to hold a “pledging conference” in Washington, D.C., during which the U.S. would make another “substantial contribution” to the effort.
More funding is needed for humanitarian projects and to assist displaced Iraqis, which continues to face attacks from the Islamic State. The State Department noted that just 33 percent of the United Nation’s $861 million Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded so far, and that the lack of funding has caused some relief programs to close.
The United Nations, along with the Iraqi government and the International Coalition, has spearheaded the Fund for Immediate Stabilization in order to support humanitarian projects, such as restoring electricity and water service, rehabilitating schools and health clinics, and helping local businesses function again.
The State Department warned that the situation for many Iraqis is dire.
“The reports from Fallujah in recent days on the grave humanitarian situation for those displaced, as Iraqi Security Forces continue their successes against Da’esh in the city, are just the most recent reminder of the human toll this conflict has had on vulnerable civilians,” the department said. “It also reinforces the urgent need for the international community to continue to support humanitarian and stabilization efforts in Iraq.”
Of the 3.4 million people displaced in Iraq since 2014, more than half are reportedly children.
According to the State Department, more than 725,000 displaced Iraqis have returned to their homes because of the FFIS’s efforts.
