Over 35% of territory once occupied by Daesh has now been liberated by the Government of Iraq in partnership with the 66-member Global Coalition.
In just the last few weeks the towns of Rutba and Al-Baghdadi have been liberated, as well as the Haditha-Hit road which broke the siege of Haditha which has been in place since 2014, and Trebil, which is on the border between Iraq and Jordan, which will shortly re-open so that Iraqi refugees can return home and trade can resume.
The Government of Iraq has developed plans to stabilise areas which have been liberated from Daesh by providing the governance, services and security necessary to facilitate the return of Iraqis to these areas. The Global Coalition is supporting the Government of Iraq to do this, including by working through the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) fund for stabilisation in Iraq.
UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande said:
“Helping communities return home to areas liberated from Daesh occupation is one of our highest priorities. The UN and its partners the Government of Iraq and the Global Coalition are working hard to ensure that once areas are liberated, rapid steps are taken so that Iraqis can return and rebuild their lives. The safe return of over 650,000 Iraqis sends a powerful signal that life is returning to normal and is testament to the efforts of the UN and Global Coalition countries.”
In just the city of Tikrit, Coalition and partner efforts have allowed:
· 100% of demand for electricity to be met to ensure communities can work and live,
· 20,000 students to register to study at Tikrit University,
· 80,000 people to access safe drinking water from three rehabilitated water pumping stations and treatment plants,
· 30,000 people to benefit from refurbished health facilities,
· 100 businesses, including bakeries, grocers and repair stores to open and start trading,
· Survivors amongst refugee and IDP populations to receive legal aid services, and
· Hundreds of young people employed cleaning neighborhoods and rebuilding major public buildings.
As more territory is liberated and more communities return, the Global Coalition will continue to help stabilise areas so that families can come home, secure jobs and switch on services and so that their lives can resume.