Testimony of Gregory C. Gottlieb

Deputy Assistant Administrator

Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance

Before the House Foreign Affairs

Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia and the

Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Neglected Responsibilities: The U.S. Response to the Iraqi Refugee Crisis

Thank you Chairman Ackerman and Chairman Delahunt, Ranking Member Pence and Ranking Member Rohrabacher, and Members of the Subcommittees for the opportunity to appear before you and to discuss USAID's provision of humanitarian assistance to Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Despite a decrease in violence, slowing displacement rates, and limited returns in 2007, displacement within Iraq remains a serious humanitarian crisis and demands a significant and targeted response. The humanitarian condition of displaced Iraqis continues to deteriorate, as coping mechanisms diminish, and the potential for new displacement remains a concern. Moreover, many Iraqi returnees face enormous difficulties in home communities which are unable to provide basic services for health, shelter, security, and economic needs.

In short, Iraq's IDP and refugee crisis is deepening and will require a continued and targeted response from the U.S. Government and the international humanitarian community as a whole. Our response must address the specific needs of the current IDP caseload, while maintaining the capacity to respond rapidly to new displacement and emergency needs. In addition, the U.S. government must continue to assist in building the capacity of the Government of Iraq. For IDPs and returnees, this means a significant commitment must be made to the Ministry of Migration (MoM).

Before I delve into the specifics of the USAID’s program to assist Iraqi IDPs, I want to give you a bit of context with regard to working conditions for our partners. Killings, kidnappings, and threats against international aid workers, local staff, and their families are commonplace. Many aid agencies have opted to leave Iraq since 2003 as a result of this violence. But those who have remained and continue to provide aid have done so through creative networking and perseverance. Building strong relationships with local leaders, both governmental and religious, has created an environment of partnership and trust in many areas of the country. Even so, on a day to day basis, our partners risk their own personal safety to provide assistance on behalf of the United States government and the American people to Iraqis in need.

CURRENT SITUATION

Although displacement has leveled off in recent months, the crisis remains severe as reflected by the current IDP caseload. The humanitarian community estimates that nearly 2.5 million Iraqis are displaced within Iraq’s borders, including 1.3 million displaced following the February 2006 bombing of the Samarra Al-Askari Mosque. An additional 2 million Iraqis have sought refuge in neighboring countries. More than 65 percent of the IDP population originates from Baghdad, nearly 20 percent are from Diyala Governorate, and a majority of the balance fled from Anbar, Salah al-Din, and Ninewa governorates.

In December 2007, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted a needs assessment of families affected by the February 2006 Samarra bombing. For the majority of displaced families, shelter remains the highest priority need, followed by employment and food. Approximately 20 percent of IDPs reported seeking shelter in abandoned public buildings or other informal settlements with no clean water or electricity. An additional 20 percent of displaced families have moved in with relatives or host families, often resulting in overcrowding and severe strains on resources. The remaining 60 percent reside in rented houses or apartments. However, finances have dwindled as rent prices continue to rise, and renters now struggle to afford food, essential items, and services. The absence of livelihood opportunities in host communities exacerbates the problem.

Regarding access to food, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that in 2004, nearly 96 percent of all Iraqis received food from the government-run public distribution system (PDS). However, in 2007, only 22 percent of IDPs reported regular access to food rations, and 60 percent reported not receiving any food assistance since becoming displaced. The most frequently reported obstacle to PDS access is insecurity, which both prevents distribution in areas of displacement and hinders the transportation of food across national and governorate borders.

Finally, the Government of Iraq and the humanitarian community are extremely concerned that resources are not in place to absorb and meet the needs of refugees and IDPs should they return to their communities of origin en masse. A limited number of returns have occurred to date, although it is difficult to measure precisely as not all returnees are registering with the MoM, or other sources, such as local councils. In 2007, the MoM reported that improved security had allowed an estimated 6,000 families to return to Baghdad. MoM estimates that nearly 30,000 families have returned countrywide.

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS

In general, large scale displacements tend to overwhelm local water, sanitation, health, and general infrastructure. UNICEF reports that only one in three Iraqi children under the age of five has access to safe drinking water. According to IOM surveys, displaced families in Iraq consistently identify shelter, food, and employment as priority needs. In addition, displaced families, particularly the most vulnerable groups, require immediate emergency relief supplies and ongoing access to safe and protective areas. However, within individual governorates, priority needs vary. For example, in Anbar Governorate, nearly 80 percent of IDPs reported access to water as the priority, while in Ninewa Governorate approximately 96 percent identified legal services as a high priority. Among IDPs surveyed in central and southern governorates, IOM identified access to healthcare as a priority need, with eleven percent of IDPs unable to access health care and 34 percent unable to access needed medication.

Regarding Iraqi returnees, only 49 percent own property in habitable condition, 30 percent live in improvised shelters, 14 percent are renting, and 6 percent are living with relatives. The remainder live in improvised shelter. Upon returning, 65 percent of assessed individuals reported urgently needing food, 64 percent need cooking fuel, 53 percent essential non-food items, 51 percent health care, and 46 percent sanitation services. An additional concern, according to the Government of Iraq's Minister of Migration, is that a majority of expected returnees will find their homes occupied by others.

USAID RESPONSE

Since FY 2003, USAID – through our Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) – has contributed more than $254 million in humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in Iraq. In fiscal years 2007-08, OFDA obligated more than $63 million through five international partners providing assistance in the health, water/sanitation, livelihoods, relief commodities, food supplements, and shelter sectors. These programs reached nearly 500,000 IDPs in all 18 of Iraq’s governorates.

USAID has also programmed $25 million from P.L. 480 Title II – USAID’s Food for Peace – to the World Food Program for emergency food packages to refugees in Syria and IDPs in Iraq. In March 2008, FFP has programmed an additional $11 million in P.L. 480 assistance to the WFP for IDPs in Iraq and is considering further assistance in the coming months.

In addition to addressing immediate relief needs, USAID’s humanitarian programs include activities to protect water points, create employment opportunities, and repair damaged infrastructure. USAID/OFDA’s FY 2007-08 funding also supports initiatives to create safe areas for displaced women, and children and to conduct rights-awareness trainings. In Baghdad, one implementing partner rehabilitated a local structure which now serves as a safe area addressing the psycho-social needs of more than 100 children through recreational and educational activities.

Our democracy and governance activities in Iraq also incorporates the needs of IDPs into programming, and USAID continues to assist in building local capacity to deliver vital services that will impact and benefit areas with high numbers of IDPs. Consistent with the USAID IDP Policy, addressing the long-term development needs of IDPs helps to mitigate the risk of new cycles of national instability and population displacement.

Examples of USAID-funded activities benefiting IDPs include the following:

In Erbil, Muthanna, and Wassit governorates, one of USAID’s partners is implementing an emergency response and early recovery program addressing the needs of nearly 80,000 IDPs. The program provides the delivery of winterization supplies, cash-for-work activities focused on rehabilitation of infrastructure, creating child-friendly spaces, and providing shelter assistance to as many as 3,600 IDP families.

In Ta’mim, Salah ad Din, Diyala, Sulaymaniyah, and Erbil governorates, another partner is providing community-based recovery assistance, which includes psychosocial activities for vulnerable IDPs, particularly women and children. This partner also is working with the Directorate of Health in Kirkuk to facilitate the operation of mobile health teams which provide medical services to IDP families throughout Ta'mim governorate.

A third USAID partner implements health, water, sanitation, and hygiene activities for 40,000 IDP families in 10 out of Iraq’s 18 governorates, and provides emergency relief supplies to nearly 27,000 newly displaced families across 13 governorates. Another USAID-funded program is improving maternal and child healthcare at the household level through training and education, benefiting more than 381,000 IDPs in six governorates. USAID funding also continues to increase access to potable water for nearly 56,500 IDP families in eight governorates.

USAID/OFDA partners continue to facilitate the economic development of IDPs and host communities through the construction of marketplaces and the establishment of enterprise spaces. In Al-Rusafa, Baghdad, an OFDA partner established a sewing factory in a building recently renovated by the U.S. Army, creating employment for 126 women from the IDP and host communities.

The USAID/OFDA Iraq Humanitarian Assistance Program also includes an emergency response initiative designed to distribute food items to the most vulnerable IDP and host community families. NGO implementing partners conduct frequent community-based surveys to identify the most affected displaced families. The USAID/OFDA food distribution system fills the gap left by the World Food Program (WFP) distribution system and the Government of Iraq public distribution system (PDS).

In addition to funding humanitarian assistance activities, the U.S. Government remains committed to building the capacity of the Government of Iraq in an effort to find durable solutions to the ongoing displacement crisis at local, regional, and national levels.

Specifically, USAID's humanitarian assistance program aims to strengthen the capacity of the MoM to monitor the movement and plans of IDP families, and to coordinate with local authorities, communities, and relief organizations to assess needs and create appropriate programming for each target population, as well as to facilitate safe returns and successful transitions.

THE WAY AHEAD

Although USAID's partners continue to meet the immediate needs of IDPs, and create medium-term and long-term solutions to address the protection and economic needs of IDPs, preparations for the eventual return of IDPs to home communities must be strengthened and expanded. In this regard, USAID and the State Department will work to strengthen the capacity of the MoM in order to prepare and implement adequate responses to the return of IDPs and refugees.

Along these lines, the U.S. Government is making every effort to increase in-country engagement with the UN. Following the 2003 bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad, the UN pulled its operations back to Amman. The UN has recently stepped up its efforts and presence in Iraq. We are encouraged by this trend, and should encourage it to do more. With a limited number of international aid agencies on the ground in Iraq, it is imperative that we have a heightened UN profile not only to implement humanitarian aid programs, but also to take the lead in coordinating country-wide sectoral activities. The UN’s increased presence will also send a strong message to the greater humanitarian aid community that it is possible to operate in the current environment.

USAID remains committed to providing targeted and appropriate support to IDP and host communities by encouraging its partners to engage local communities, national authorities, and other relief organizations, to ensure that interventions are tailored to the needs of each community. USAID will continue to support its partner’s efforts to provide timely relief assistance and basic services for suddenly displaced persons, and create durable solutions for settled IDPs.

USAID is prepared to respond to needs of the Iraqi IDPs with existing resources and partners and plans to continue responding with additional resources to be obligated by the end of calendar 2008. Thank you for the opportunity to address the Subcommittees. This concludes my testimony. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.