Iraq

In 2014, AFD supported projects implemented by French NGOs aiming at strengthening access to basic services (water, education, health and psychosocial care) for host communities, Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons, mainly in the governorate of Dohuk in Iraqi Kurdistan. Funded by the program 209, two projects implemented by Première Urgence Internationale (€ 1 million in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan) and by the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation (€ 298,000) were completed in 2017 and 2018 respectively. In 2019, AFD committed € 430,000 to a non-formal education development project implemented by the Léo Lagrange Federation.

AFD managed delegated funds from the Madad fund of the European Union and funded 3 projects that started in 2017 and were completed in 2020:

• ACTED (€ 750,000) has built the capacities of the Dohuk Directorate of Labor and Social Affairs (DoLSA), as well as those of two community-based organizations : Rwanga and Sewan; 
• Action Against Hunger (€ 1 million) delivered psychosocial support training in primary health care centers in Dohuk;
• The French Red Cross (€ 2 million) improved access to education in the Dohuk Governorate, rehabilitated schools and supported the creation of parents and teachers associations. 

AFD concentrates its intervention and resources on the challenges of restoring public services and economic recovery in the liberated areas from ISIS. Guided by the principle of “do no harm”, in a region where the underlying factors of violent extremism are still present, AFD is targeting pilot operations combining emergency and development of at least 10 million euros per operation, to achieve significant results and impacts. AFD supports three projects:

• 2017 – Rebuilding the water distribution service in Iraq (€ 10 million). Implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), this project aims to meet the essential needs of the Iraqi population for drinking water and contribute to post-recovery reconstruction by supporting the rehabilitation and development of the drinking water distribution service;
• 2018 – Restarting the rural and agricultural economy in the Nineveh Governorate (€ 10 million). Attributed to the NGO Mercy Corps, this project aims to improve access to finance for small agricultural enterprises, the rehabilitation of irrigated areas and the strenghtening of social cohesion ;
• 2019 – Improve the drinking water and sanitation service in the Kurdish Governorate of Dohuk (€ 15 million). Implemented by GIZ, the German agency for technical cooperation, this project aims to improve the supply and management of water and sanitation services as well as the capacity of the public authorities to manage these services.

In 2017, AFD agreed to a € 381 million multi-sector public policy loan. This loan supports the reform program to streamline public spending, improve energy efficiency, and improve transparency and governance of Iraqi public enterprises.

Since 2012, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has led to massive displacements of populations from Syria to Iraq, and especially to Iraqi Kurdistan, but also within Iraq itself. This crisis has exacerbated existing tensions and vulnerabilities, increasing the need for access to essential social services.

To respond to the consequences of the Iraqi and Syrian crises, AFD launched the Minka Middle East initiative to help the host countries strengthen their resilience and accelerating their recovery. Originating from the Peace and Resilience Fund, this initiative aims to provide a structured response to the challenges of the Iraqi and Syrian crises at a regional level and following 4 intervention principles:

• ensure the transition from humanitarian action to a development-focused response and aim to scale-up to meet the needs of the population;
• preserve social cohesion between displaced populations and host communities notably through the socioeconomic insertion of the refugees;
• reinforce civil society and local structures working with NGOs within the framework of national policies;
• foster leverage effects by working in partnership with other development actors.