Archive for September, 2011

USAID in Iraq

September 22nd, 2011

U.S. has been helping Iraq. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a major partner in the United States Government’s (USG) reconstruction and development effort in Iraq. They make a commitment to Iraq that they will help them to build a foundation for a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. To contribute to the stability and development of Iraq as part of the broader U.S. government effort is the overarching goal of USAID’s. To emphasize their responsiveness and sustainability is by supporting stabilization, establishing the foundation for economic growth, and building national capacity. With these efforts it helps stabilize areas affected by terrorism while mitigating the appeal of insurgent recruitment efforts. With the USAID assistance to democratic institution and sustainable development it will form a stable foundation, democratic and prosperous Iraq.

 

Since March 2003, USAID has invested approximately $6.6 billion on programs designed to stabilize communities; foster economic and agricultural growth; and build the capacity of the national, local, and provincial governments to represent and respond to the needs of the Iraqi people. The partnership between the two has been critical to stabilizing and shaping a self-reliant and prosperous Iraq. In October 2009, Focused stabilization USAID/Iraq’s Community Stabilization (CSP) was completed counterinsurgency efforts to promote stability at various levels by promoting jobs, training, small grants and mall infrastructure projects to community that is affected by insurgent violence. In order to support the U.S. military’s surge, the CSP operated in 17 insurgency affected cities. It aimed at reducing incentives for participation in violent conflict by employing or engaging at-risk youth aged 12-35. The accomplishments they had were: since 2006, the USAID stabilization efforts employed on a long-term basis around 47,298 individuals; a total of 41,443 trainees graduated vocational training activities throughout Iraq; 15,138 have successfully completed the business management training courses; approved grants to 10,257 business owners valued at over $77.4 million; around 339,000 Iraqi youth enrolled in soccer, the arts, and life skills programs.

 

Humanitarian assistance USAID’s office of U.S. Foreign Assistance works through nine partner organizations to implement programs spanning all of Iraq’s 18 governorates, providing assistance to bolster health, distribute emergency relief supplies, build or fortify shelter and settlements, generate income, support host communities, collect and analyze IDP and returnee data, coordinate humanitarian programs, and improve water, sanitation, and hygiene. OFDA activities include provisions to enable partners to rapidly respond and adapt to emerging needs. And also the USAID’s U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has helped the Government of Iraq’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM) to manage information related to internally displaced persons. There key accomplishment include the more $340 million contributed in humanitarian assistance for vulnerable populations in Iraq; USAID/OFDA provided more than $75 million in humanitarian assistance through activities that benefited approximately 1 million IDPs and host families in Iraq in 2006 alone; contributed more than $37 million to support ongoing emergency assistance to IDPs, host communities, and returnees.; USAID/OFDA implementing partners have provided emergency relief commodities to approximately 725,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqis, of which a significant majority were IDPs since 2003. With the help of U.S., Iraq will surely stand on its own again.