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Germany supporting Vulnerable Children in Iraq

UNICEF receives 26 million from Germany to support national systems and ensure vulnerable children in Iraq receive quality basic and social protection services in Iraq

The German Government, through its Development Bank, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), has contributed 26 million Euros to UNICEF in order to help the agency in its ongoing efforts to assist the Government of Iraq in strengthening its systems and improve access to quality basic services and social protection for children and their families.

This latest amount brings the German Government’s total contributions to UNICEF Iraq to a total of 159 million Euros since 2015.

Vulnerable children and their families in Iraq are disproportionately affected by the lack of safe water, education, and social protection. The needs of the poorest have become even more acute as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its secondary impacts, such as disruption in schools and health services, and rights violations, as well as rising poverty, all diminish the chance of vulnerable children to realize their basic rights to survive, be protected, and continue learning.

In light of the scale of the pandemic’s effect particularly on children and their families, the German Government has reserved 6 million Euros exclusively for measures addressing COVID-19 related activities such as the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).

“This funding has come in at a critical time, when we should be doing all that we can to limit the effects of the pandemic on all children, especially the most vulnerable. Thanks to our German partner, we are able to scale up our efforts to support the Government of Iraq to strengthen national systems’ ability to respond and provide better quality and coordination of the basic services that it provides, public social protection for children and their families, and help to train educators, counsellors and other professionals working with children,” explained Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF’s Representative in Iraq.

For his part, the German Ambassador to Iraq, His Excellency Dr Ole Diehl (pictured), emphasized that the international community can only win the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic by working together.

“Germany continues to support Iraq in its fight against COVID-19. This is why we have launched an extensive global COVID emergency program, under which also a sizeable COVID-19 response window is allocated for Iraq and our contribution assigned to this program respectively. Good health and sanitary infrastructure are paramount to contain the virus. More importantly, every one of us needs to take part in the fight against Corona by wearing masks, keeping up social distancing and observing rules of basic hygiene.”

Since the pandemic broke, the number of children and adolescents who risk falling into poverty has doubled, from one out of five children and adolescents to over 2 out of every 5. Children and adolescents, who make-up more than half of the population in the country, are also the most at risk of experiencing poverty, service disruptions in critical basic services like primary health, water sanitation and hygiene, education and increase in rights violations.

“Investing in one’s children is the best investment any nation can make. The Iraqi government needs our support to further develop its technical capacities, strengthen its systems, and deliver for its children. We are especially appreciative of the support of our German partner at this critical time when we are working with the Government to enhance its ability and systems to deliver better education, health services, water, sanitation and protection for every boy and girl in Iraq,” added Ms. Lasseko.

There are 1.77 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and another 1.5 million who remain displaced and therefore exposed to higher risks of deprivation, violence and exploitation. The project which will be rolled out over 18 months, will target such populations.

The project focuses on long-term sustainability by strengthening national systems and capacities to provide integrated access to safe water, education and health services, protection, and social assistance, with the goal of enabling children to overcome poverty, practice their rights and fulfil their potential.

It will be implemented at the Federal level and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in partnership with the Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs, the Education, the Directorates of Education at sub-national levels, and national and international Civil Society Organisations.

(Source: UN)

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Germany’s New EUR 10m Contribution to Iraq

New €10m contribution from Germany expands UNDP Iraq’s Coronavirus response into 15 governorates

German Government’s KfW Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Iraq, have today signed a EUR 10 million agreement (US$11.75 million) to support Iraq’s response to COVID-19.

The contribution was made by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with financing provided through KfW. Over the past five years the German Government has been a continuous supporter of UNDP activities in Iraq and committed so far more than EUR 300 million through KfW Development Bank for this purpose.

The German Government also supports Iraq in its efforts to address the immediate and medium-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and has set up an emergency window under which funds are provided, including this contribution to UNDP.

This contribution allows UNDP to extend its COVID-19 response measures into 15 governorates. It makes Germany the tenth partner to contribute to UNDP’s COVID-19 response, taking the total raised to approximately $38.9 million.

Measures under UNDP Iraq’s response include increasing the testing capacity of laboratories, providing personal protective equipment to healthcare workers, building isolation units for infected patients and undertaking assessments to drive post-COVID-19 recovery strategies.

“The spread of COVID-19 is still taking its toll on Iraqi communities across the country. Thanks to Germany’s generous contribution, we can continue boosting Iraq’s health infrastructure by constructing an extra three isolation wards in addition to the 13 that have either been completed or are underway,” says Resident Representatives of UNDP Iraq, Zena Ali Ahmad.

H. E. the German Ambassador, Dr. Ole Diehl, especially emphasizes the multi-faceted approach of UNDP’s COVID-19 response measure. “COVID-19 is a catastrophe, not only insofar as it destroys human health and lives. It also causes people to lose their jobs, enterprises to lose their revenue and families to literally lose the food on their table. These possible outcomes of COVID-19 require a strong and differentiated response mirrored in this program. Germany continues to support Iraq in its fight against COVID-19. This is why we have launched an extensive global COVID-19 emergency program, under which also a sizeable COVID-19 response window is allocated for Iraq. This pandemic can only be contained with the collective effort of the international community and Germany will play its part.”

“Germany is one of UNDP Iraq’s largest contributors, and we are extremely grateful for their strong and continued support, particularly during the pandemic,” adds Ms Ali Ahmad.

KfW Development Bank and UNDP enjoy a strong cooperation over the years. “On behalf of the German Government, we are very pleased to further extend our cooperation with UNDP and assist Iraq in its efforts to address the current challenges arising through COVID-19,” says Director of KfW Office Iraq, Dr. Anna Janke.

The contribution will be channelled through UNDP Iraq’s Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS).

Germany joins Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, and USAID as key partners supporting UNDP Iraq’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which supports medical facilities in Anbar, Babil, Basra, Dhi Qar, Diwaniya, Diyala, Duhok, Erbil, Karbala, Kirkuk, Maysan, Muthana, Najaf, Ninewa and Salah Al Din.

(Source: UN)

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KfW Bank supports Construction of 4 Hospitals in Iraq

The number of cases of COVID-19-infected persons is also rapidly increasing in Iraq. The peak of the disease is expected in autumn. At least four new hospitals are to be built in the country’s largest cities by then.

KfW is financing the construction on behalf of the German government with an initial amount of EUR 15 million. The contract was signed 23 July 2020.

At the end of April lockdown and corona restrictions were lifted in Iraq. Since then the number of cases has risen sharply. A peak in infections is expected in autumn, which will overburden the infrastructure of the health care facilities.

By then, almost 50,000 beds in hospitals, including 12,000 intensive care beds, will be needed for the treatment of COVID-19 patients alone. In Iraq, however, there are only just under 50,000 hospital beds at all, including about 700 intensive care beds.

To support the Iraqi health system KfW is financing the construction of at least four hospitals on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with an initial EUR 15 million. It is being examined whether further hospitals can be financed in a further phase.

A simulation of the course of infection according to a WHO model showed that the conurbations will suffer the highest case numbers. Therefore, four hospitals are planned in the major cities of Baghdad, Basra, Niniveh and Süleymaniye.

They will initially be built as temporary hospitals in modular prefabricated construction, but in the long term they can serve as regular hospitals. Each hospital will have 100 beds, including 40 intensive care beds. In the short term, more than 7,000 patients will benefit directly. But the separate treatment of COVID-19 patients in separate facilities is beneficial for all patients in the country, because otherwise isolation could not be guaranteed.

“This is a quick and lean response to the pandemic in Iraq, but we have to win the race against time and build the hospitals before case numbers continue to escalate,” stresses KfW portfolio manager Moritz Remé. After many years of armed conflict the need for reconstruction in Iraq is particularly high. Income from the oil business has fallen due to the sharp drop in prices in recent months. Help from Germany is therefore urgently needed in Iraq.

(Source: KfW)