ISIS’s occupation negatively affected women and girls, particularly in terms of health, mobility, and social composition, creating extremely vulnerable portions of the population in Iraq. As a result, many women, children, and men are internally displaced, with no sufficient infrastructure and basic health services to accommodate them. To combat this, the UN implemented a project, with an estimated worth of $200 million, to strengthen and raise living standards for displaced refugees through implementing capacity-building strategies for consultants in local governments and authorities to achieve the objectives and anticipated outputs.
The fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) across Iraq has resulted in a protracted humanitarian crisis and devastation in several areas. As of 30 June 2020, around 1.4 million people remain displaced, and 4.1 million people need humanitarian assistance.
Anbar is one of the governorates which have been severely affected by the protracted crisis in the country. According to the 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for Iraq, out of the 6 million people displaced during the 2014–2017 conflict against ISIL, 4.1 million people (women 27%, men 27%, girls 23%, boys 23%) require some form of humanitarian assistance.
The United Nations (UN) has identified significant issues plaguing the cities of Anbar, Salah Al-Din, Diyala, and Kirkuk, most of which host displaced refugees. Those issues are:
- Lack of adequate infrastructure to support safe and dignified living conditions;
- Gaps in service delivery and lack of quality standards for basic services
- Lack of support for displaced populations and other vulnerable or marginalized groups to become self-reliant and achieve durable solutions
The end-goals of LIRA consist of:
- Strengthened institutions and systems deliver people-centered, evidence- and needs-based, equitable, inclusive, and gender-responsive services, especially for the most vulnerable populations.
- The living standards of conflict-affected populations are improved with access to services in selected semi-urban and rural areas.
- Improved quality of services provided to consumers in their categories (household, governmental, industrial, agricultural, and commercial).
- Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- Build resilient infrastructure by promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation.
- The ability to establish a well-defined process that encompasses regular inspections, prompt identification of maintenance needs, timely scheduling of repairs, and effective coordination with relevant stakeholders
Thus, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNPOS) has implemented project LIRA to help enhance the capacity of the public sector, private sector, and other stockholders individually involved in either implementation supervision or operations & maintenance of projects, i.e management of Quality during implementation, Health, Safety & Environmental mitigations, and finally operation & maintenance of infrastructure projects.
The strategy for implementing a capacity building component in the project is to strengthen the self-help capacities in the targeted communities. The training and workshop sessions will inform and raise awareness for the benefits and maintenance of the transformative infrastructure that will be rehabilitated and installed during the project. Overall, the project will contribute to building the skillsets of public sector staff and communities, and thus contribute to sustainability of the project and as well as empowering them to create alternative income-generating opportunities and prospects for the futures of internally displaced refugees.
