Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance for the Most Vulnerable, Conflict-Affected Households in Areas of Return in Iraq The Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) requests a $1,905,000.00 contribution from the IHPF to provide first line and second line multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to households affected by conflict in-and-around Cash Working Group-identified priority areas of return, specifically in Tel Afar district in Ninawa, and Jazeerat al-Khalediyah, Ana, and al-Ka’im districts in Anbar. This direct support for 1,250 vulnerable households will seek to reduce their reliance on negative coping strategies by enabling households to meet their critical basic needs. 

Following the re-taking of Tel Afar by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), many previously displaced families have started to return to Ninawa, which as a governorate is now seeing the highest rates of return according to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Report for January 2018, which includes movement to the district of Tel Afar. 

Additionally, after the re-taking of western Anbar, many families are starting to return to the western districts of Ana and al-Ka’im. There are reports of forced and premature returns in these areas, as well as voluntary returns. While rates of return in Anbar are lower than Ninawa, these are projected to increase during the implementation period, and Anbar currently has the highest total number of returnees. In all above-mentioned districts, the needs among returnee and displaced households are high, and with the lack of opportunities for livelihoods and basic services, many families require urgent assistance to meet their needs. 

The caseload proposed under this award has already been identified by CCI partner field teams, and as such, the implementing partners (Oxfam and Mercy Corps) are ready to begin registration by mid-April 2018. The CCI can respond quickly to meet the needs of vulnerable out-of-camp households by using the CCI partners’ established infrastructure (staff, offices, and agreements with money transfer agents) and utilizing their extensive experience distributing cash and conducting ongoing vulnerability assessments in Anbar and Ninawa. CCI partners are currently active across the Ana, Heet, Ramadi, and Fallujah districts in Anbar, and in the Mosul and Tel Afar districts in Ninawa, and as such, the CCI is well positioned to implement effective programming with funding from the IHPF First Standard Allocation. 

The CCI’s proposed response under this award includes:

Tel Afar, Ninawa: 300 R3 households

Jazeerat al-Khalediyah, Anbar: 50 R1 households and 300 R3 households

Al-Ka’im, Anbar: 170 R1s, 75 R2s, 430 R3s

(This is a total of 1,250 HHs, as to avoid double counting, we add only the R1 and R3 households together. With an average HH size of 6 individuals per HH, this is equal to 7,500 beneficiaries.)

Although not funded under this award, households eligible for the full cluster response will be referred for legal assistance funded under other CCI awards. Where legal staff are available and the judiciary is functioning, IHPF beneficiaries will have access to support for obtaining missing identification documents and connecting to the Social Safety Net (SSN). 

Building on their combined experience implementing MPCA in Iraq in the largest, conflict-affected governorates, Oxfam and Mercy Corps will directly implement the proposed program. However, the CCI model will draw upon the reach, infrastructure, data, and expertise of all of its agencies to promote an enhanced approach to MPCA implementation through harmonization, scale, and complementary programming in the same locations as MPCA. In addition, data sharing agreements have been signed with several key non-CCI partners including ACTED, PIN, TDH, and Tearfund, which use the standardized CCI targeting tools. This harmonized and coordinated response will therefore enable the CCI to pivot quickly and effectively respond to any additional needs as they are identified.