Provision of emergency one-off or multi-month multipurpose cash assistance to vulnerable households affected by conflict On 9th October 2017 the Government of Iraq announced that it had regained control of all areas under Islamic State control. Shifting front lines over the last 12 months has enabled many protracted and recently displaced households (hh) to start to return home and rebuild their lives. As of 15th February 2018 the number of returned individuals in Iraq is 3.38 million people, compared to 2.4 million individuals who remain displaced. Many households, whether displaced or returned have exhausted their assets and are forced to employ negative coping mechanisms.

This project will provide both first line and second line multi-purpose cash assistance to a total of 1,156 extremely vulnerable hh (approximately 6,358 individuals), prioritising areas with higher numbers of returned hh and areas where secondary displacement is more likely (for example Kirkuk and Ninewa governorates). This will be in order to provide households with assistance needed to support their return home, support to meet their basic needs, and stimulate markets in these vulnerable areas. It is anticipated that 690 hh (approximately 3,795 individuals) will receive emergency cash assistance of a one-off monthly payment, and 466 hh (approximately 2,563 individuals) receive multi-month cash assistance consisting of three multi-purpose cash payments over a period of three months.

Tearfund (TF) has implemented cash assistance in Iraq since 2014, including projects in Dohuk, Ninewa and Kirkuk and reached over 15,000 hh to date. Since January 2017 TF has been implementing a cash assistance response for displaced, returnee and vulnerable host communities in areas of Hamdaniya and northern Mosul district that have become newly accessible during the Mosul operation. TF is also in the process of establishing a multi-purpose cash assistance programme in Hawiga district of Kirkuk governorate for vulnerable, conflict-affected hh and in newly liberated areas of Northwest Ninewa. This project is therefore evidence-based derived from rapid market and needs assessments conducted in Hawiga, Hamdaniya and northern Mosul districts.

TF will address differing needs and vulnerabilities within the community by applying socio-economic vulnerability criteria during the selection of beneficiaries, in line with Cash Working Group guidelines (and when finalised the criteria determined by the Targeting and Vulnerability Task Force, which TF regularly keeps monitoring while attending those meetings) and best practice. This is in recognition of the unique vulnerabilities faced by different sections of the community such as single male, female and child headed hh, divorced and widowed, those with disabilities or chronic illnesses and those missing documents among other disparities. Furthermore, hh assessments and Post Distribution Monitoring will seek to identify how cash is used within the hh and whether it is likely to create tensions within the hh. Beneficiary Accountability (BA) is included at all stages of the project to ensure community feedback is received, resolved and integrated where possible.