Reconstruction Agenda: Revitalizing Iraq Post-Conflict.

In December 2017, the Iraqi government declared victory over the ISIS armed group after 4 years of destructive conflict across the country.

Today, it is time for reconstruction, not only of infrastructure and services but also of the social fabric, destroyed by a conflict that has torn the Iraqi society apart. Action Against Hunger is intervening in local communities, WHICH include displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees, to help them face this crucial period.

Following the Gulf War, the American occupation from 2003 to2011, the Iraqi civil war in2006-2007, and the admission of Syrian refugees, Iraq was already in a weak position and burdened by internal discord before the arrival of ISIS, which rapidly took large stretches of the country commencing in January 2014.

Thirty years of conflict: a country to rebuild.

Out of all the photos that have been taken, the most widely distributed in the media are those of the battle for Mosul, the capital of the governorate of Nineveh, in the north of Iraq. Months under siege-like conditions created a humanitarian crisis. Civilians were trapped or forced to flee to camps in the south of the city.

Retaken last July, much of the town is in ruins, infrastructure is destroyed, there are few functioning healthcare services, there is a shortage of food and water, and many areas remain littered with explosives. Mosul personifies this conflict, but the countryside and rural towns have also paid a very high price. Last February, the Iraqi Government estimated that 88 billion dollars (71 billion euros) are needed for the reconstruction.

Restore confidence: a challenge for the Iraqi society

In total, nearly 6 million people left their homes seeking refuge in neighbouring regions. Currently, 3.9 million have returned to their homes, but almost 2 million remain displaced, including in the camps or informal settlements. People across the country suffered during this period; thousands were displaced when ISIS initially took large swaths of territory in 2014, while others were displaced during the military operations to retake these areas. Some were forced to remain under ISIS control during this period with limited access to services and strict conditions placed upon daily life. Others lived in poorly served camps, while some squatted in unfinished buildings. Confidence and trust between different communities and groups, who experienced vastly different circumstances during this time, must be rebuilt.

Today, it is time for reconstruction. All that is tangible – buildings, infrastructure, and services – as well as that which is less visible, a society where different communities and religions can live side by side.