Emergency Livelihoods for Vulnerable Returnees in Kirkuk, Diyala and Anbar Following liberation from the Islamic State at the end of 2017, Iraq entered a transition period from emergency humanitarian relief to emergency recovery. Despite this transition, hard to reach (HTR) locations still possess significant humanitarian needs in the field of Livelihoods. Half a million returnees do not have access to sufficient livelihoods opportunities and basic services. The lack of support is jeopardizing the coping strategies of returnees and their reintegration within the community. Overall, the need of livelihoods support in 2019 is expected to affect 2.4 million people high levels of debt are likely to be caused by the need of basic services and the lack of sources of income to access these services. Women are more affected by this unemployment rate (56% compared to males at 29%).

This project avails livelihoods opportunities to 1200 highly vulnerable returnees and host community members (non-displaced in recently accessible areas) to reestablish a livelihood 1200 vulnerable conflict and displacement affected people will access will receive emergency livelihoods assets and tools replacement grants and in-kind support to reestablish a livelihood and resettle in areas of origin. The project target areas with high density of returnees, targeting vulnerable people with high severity of needs from returnees and host community (non-displaced in recently retaken areas). Target communities include Kirkuk (480 HHs), mainly Hawija District Diyala (240 HHs), mainly Khalis district, and Anbar (480 HHs, mainly Falluja, Ramadi and Ana districts.

The project is being implemented by four organizations ZOA International, Relief International, Wand Al Keir Human Organization and Al Rafedain Peace Organization.Through this intervention, ZOA and Al Rafedain will respond to the emergency livelihoods needs for 480 returnees and vulnerable host community households in Anbar,  RI will respond to emergency livelihoods needs for 480 vulnerable returnees and host community members in Hawija, and WAHO will respond to emergency livelihoods needs for 240 returnees and host community HHs in Al Khalis, Diyala. The consortium will carry out such response by providing target groups with small grants of $600, for asset recovery and training and coaching on small business development, utilizing their skills in connection with the local market.  Business coaching program is composed of 5 coaching visits for every beneficiary throughout the life of project (1. Needs assessment and introduction to tailor the coaching program 2. feasibility study 3. bookkeeping, 4 marketing and sales 5. Catch-up and evaluation of the coaching intervention).

The small grant will be in two installments $400 in the first three months together with business development training, and an additional to a top up grant of $200 will be distributed to beneficiaries who would have already started or reestablished their small businesses during the program, together with the business coaching program, and with introducing a saving idea in Rotational Saving and Credit Associations (ROSCA), to be considered at choice in small groups among beneficiary businesses, which would contribute to ensuring sustainability of these businesses .

In total, the project will directly serve 1200 vulnerable returnees and host community with sustainable assets recovery (including 60% female beneficiaries, with a particular focus on female youth). Both urban and rural livelihoods opportunities will be available in target areas, based on their sets of skills and type of livelihoods they want to re-establish activities will also be tailored to the context. Consortium members are already operational in selected in target governorates and districts through existing projects and programs Health, WASH and shelter programs, and therefore, consortium partners are well positioned to work there through this intervention.