UN Allocates $15m to support Fallujah IDPs

Temperatures in the region are averaging 115 degrees Fahrenheit and rising. Many people are unable to access clean drinking water, and shade is limited, while already vulnerable communities are more susceptible to outbreaks of communicable diseases and there is a real risk of a cholera outbreak, OCHA said.

Response efforts will include improvements to hygiene and sanitation in order to help prevent the spread of disease.

OCHA indicated that the CERF funds will enable the UN humanitarian agencies in Iraq, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to quickly assist the newly displaced people.

OCHA is working with the Government of Iraq to quickly set up camps to provide additional shelters. Humanitarian partners will also focus on relief efforts to assist women and children who are particularly vulnerable in the conflict.

In addition, mobile psychological support teams are being established to provide specialized care for victims of the violence. The CERF funding will also enable health teams to provide critical care for newborn babies and children who have had limited health support and who have not yet been immunized.