Investing in a people-centered approach to ‘reconstruction’ At the Iraq Reconstruction Conference hosted by Kuwait in 2018, participants should pledge to build back more than just buildings and roads— supporting the Iraqi people and ensuring that national institutions are effective and accountable will be critical for promoting a peaceful and resilient Iraq. • While 3.2 million people have returned to their areas of origin and many more may desire to do, returns must be voluntary and informed. Donors should prioritize funding for clearance of explosive remnants of war, discourage Iraqi authorities against forced, premature, or blocked returns, and promote alternative solutions to displacement for those who are unwilling or unable to return. • For those displaced by the conflict in Iraq, the ability to work and generate income is consistently reported as one of the highest needs. Donors should invest in longer-term market-based livelihoods interventions across Iraq, particularly for young male and female entrepreneurs who can harness this potential to support their families and revitalize communities. In February 2017, nearly 50% of IDP families were estimated to be missing some form of civil documentation, which are needed to register for humanitarian and governmental assistance, and access education and employment opportunities. Donors should encourage the Iraqi government to expedite judicial processes to issue or replace civil documentation and ensure that national social protection systems are accessible. • Throughout the conflict, many people have been injured or had their property destroyed, and have been unable to attain compensation from Iraqi or Coalition authorities. The Iraqi government should strengthen judicial mechanisms on accountability for conflict-related crimes and allocate adequate resources for formal compensation mechanisms. Members of the Coalition should provide compensation to Iraqi civilians for injuries, loss of life or property resulting from Coalition actions during the conflict. • 50% of public schools in Iraq require rehabilitation. By June 2017, more than 3 million children did not attend school regularly and more than 1.2 million children (including 90% of children in conflict-affected areas) were out of school. Donors should invest in school reconstruction and rehabilitation, as well as clearance of explosive remnants of war from schools. To improve the accessibility and quality of education, the Government of Iraq should ease barriers that inhibit children from re-integrating into formal education and donors should support the Iraqi Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education to ensure teachers are paid their salaries. • After years of exposure to war, insecurity, and risk, millions of Iraqis need to heal from the individual and collective trauma they endured. Donors should invest in family and community-based psychosocial support approaches, encourage the Iraqi government to reduce barriers that inhibit GBV case referrals and sexual assault care in Department of Health facilities, and invest in expanding the mental health and psychosocial support practitioner workforce. • To ensure that collective efforts are sustainable, the donor community must invest in the structures and people who are best placed to champion a peaceful and inclusive Iraq: communities, local civil society, and government institutions. Donors should support INGOs to continue and scale ongoing capacity strengthening efforts with communities and government institutions, and complement our investments by channelling at least 25% of funding for Iraq to local CSOs and by removing barriers that prevent INGOs from partnering with local organizations, in line with commitments made in the Grand Bargain. • Ensure the Iraqi people are kept at the heart of policies and resources. As undertaken by DFID and the EU, all donor governments should clearly define a comprehensive strategy for their activities in Iraq moving forward, underpinned by a people-centered approach which is developed in close consultation with civil society. The expertise and role of civil society and the Iraqi people should be integrated into the conference through comprehensive pre-consultations, representative participation at the event, and speaking roles for international and local civil society actors and affected communities. Finally, any funding mechanisms developed for the conference should be directly accessible by civil society and in order to meet the ongoing humanitarian and protection needs, the 2018 HRP should be fully resourced alongside any additional funds pledged at the conference.

Reports of gender-based violence (GBV) are common in camps for refugees and displaced populations. In the Dadaab refugee camps in north-eastern Kenya, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and CARE International (CARE) implement programmes that aim to both respond to and prevent GBV.

In December 2017, after three years of conflict which displaced 5.8 million people, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi declared victory over the Islamic State group (ISIS). As Coalition-backed Iraqi forces slowly regained territory, many people returned home to start the long process of rebuilding their lives and communities.

They die of bombs, we die of need: impact of collapsing public health systems in Yemen

The Syrian refugee crisis is the largest refugee crisis of our time. The Syrian war, now entering its eighth year, has displaced more than 11 million Syrians—5.6 million of which have fled in search of a safer and more stable life outside of Syria’s borders. Today, Jordan is home 1.3 million Syrians, including more than 655,000 registered refugees, who are trying to recover and rebuild their lives.

In 2016 we joined other donors and humanitarian actors to commit to increase the use of humanitarian cash as part of the Grand Bargain, an agreement negotiated between donors and aid organisations. Since then, we have implemented a set of organisational reforms to achieve such a scale up which are of relevance to the wider humanitarian community.

At a time where populist voices in member states dominate the debate on migration and displacement, the EU can provide principled leadership.

This report aims to draw greater attention to the humanitarian crisis facing people on the move along the Central Mediterranean Route and includes the IRC's ‘Ten Point Action Plan’ for EU leaders to promote a values-driven approach to migration on the route.

Asylum seekers living at Moria, the reception and identification center on the Greek island of Lesvos, are under enormous mental strain. With no choice but to live in unacceptable conditions, with little concrete information about their futures and long waits to have their asylum claims heard, suicide rates among clients of the IRC mental health centre are astonishingly high: thirty percent of our clients have attempted suicide. Sixty percent have considered attempting suicide. Over the past six months, the IRC has been gathering the testimony of clients who attend our mental health centre in Mytilene, the capital of Lesvos. This brief outlines our findings and puts forward recommendations for the Greek local and central government, EU leaders and donors, to ensure that all asylum seekers at Moria in need of mental health services are able to access it and that living conditions do not trigger or exacerbate existing trauma.

Up to 82% of fragile and conflict affected states - or up to 4 in 5 - are off track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal targets according to a new report by the International Rescue Committee and the Overseas Development Institute.