For displaced families in Iraq, cash provides reprieve

Cash-based assistance allows families to make their own decisions about their needs and priorities, and to do so with dignity. This month UNICEF continued to provide cash transfers to displaced families living in camps in northern Iraq.

On the last day of August in Bajet Kandala Camp for displaced Iraqi families, clouds finally obscured the harsh summer sun and for the first time in months a brief rain shower cleared the air. But the rain wasn’t the only form of relief — on this day, aid arrived in the camp not in the form of a food or supplies, but in cash. Above, camp residents watch as preparations are made for a UNICEF-facilitated cash transfer.

Located in the western corner of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Bajet Kandala was first established as a transit site for Syrian refugees. Since August 2014 it has been used to host displaced Iraqis who fled violence in Ninewa Governorate. Many families have experienced multiple displacements, and moved to the camps after sheltering in unfinished buildings or schools. Above, women wait under a tent for the cash transfer to begin.

Here more than $500,000 was distributed over three days, giving $250 to each of the 2,217 families in the camp. Bajet Kandala is one of three camps where UNICEF has recently provided cash assistance, distributing a total of $1.2 million in the last month.

These recent cash transfers follow an earlier package of cash-based assistance. Between December 2014 and March 2015 UNICEF distributed more than five million dollars to almost 20,000 displaced families in Dohuk Governorate. Above, accountants sit ready for beneficiaries to arrive.

In partnership with MEDAIR and World Vision, UNICEF deploys Last Mile Mobile Solutions (LMMS) technology to reduce the time required for cash distributions. Above, LMMS technicians scan beneficiary ID cards as they enter the distribution tent.

“This is the best possible standard for registering beneficiaries and organizing distributions. It makes the process really fast and efficient for all those involved,” said Giuseppe Simeon, UNICEF Project Manager.

LMMS is a stand-alone system developed by World Vision and a consortium of international NGOs. The system uses smart phone-based beneficiary registration and identification. It allows for efficient planning and management of cash distributions, as well as for a substantial increase in overall accountability.

Cash assistance allows families to meet their unique needs in a dignified manner. Shirin, 72, brought her grandson Rian, 8, to the distribution.

“I am very tired and I have some health problems, so I’ll use some of the money for medicine,” said Shirin. “I’ll also use it to help my grandchildren.”

UNICEF’s cash transfer programme is supported by generous donations from the Italian and Danish governments, in close partnership with the Kurdish Regional Government. Above, Carmelo Ficarra, Italian Consul General to the Kurdish region of Iraq, was in the camp to observe the programme in action.

“This is only a part of the total assistance that Italy is granting in order to assist IDPs, together with Syrian refugees, hosted in the three Kurdish provinces,” he said.

To reduce waiting time, beneficiaries are identified and verified in advance. Each camp sector is allocated a specific time to arrive in the cash transfer tent. The timing is communicated to beneficiaries with the help of camp management and administrators. Above, camp residents wait to enter the cash transfer tent.

Salman, 13, from Sinjar, has lived in the camp since last August. Orphaned when fleeing an attack on his village, he and his two sisters now live in Bajet Kandala with their uncle. Certain families are eligible for additional cash assistance — for example, those who care for orphaned children or who have family members with special needs.

“We’ll use the money to buy new clothes and some extra school supplies,” Salman said. “I want to finish my studies so I can become a doctor.”

Besma was shot by a sniper while fleeing her village in Sinjar last August. While taking her to the hospital, her husband was killed by members of an armed opposition group. Fortunately she’s recovered from her injuries, and after a difficult journey to safety, she now lives with her father and four children in Bajet Kandala.

“We lost all of our identification documents when we fled from our home, so we’ll use some of the money for the fees to get new papers, and for cost of travel to Dohuk. We’re so thankful for this assistance.”

UNICEF is gradually expanding the use of cash in its operations. Besides cash assistance in camps, UNICEF is also providing cash grants to displaced families living in unfinished buildings and other critical shelter settings. In the near future UNICEF plans to provide grants in support of school attendance, as well as to assist families to prepare for the extreme winter and summer seasons.

“We’ve seen with the refugee crisis in Europe growing more urgent by the day that we must do everything we can — and as fast as we can — to improve the lives of vulnerable families here in Iraq,” said Giuseppe Simeon, UNICEF Project Manager.

Living in a camp like Bajet Kandala isn’t easy. But for now, at least, cash provides relief, allowing vulnerable families to make their own decisions about how best to meet their most urgent needs.

Lindsay Mackenzie is a consultant with UNICEF Iraq.

All photos © UNICEF/Iraq/2015/Mackenzie.

Direct donations to UNICEF Iraq: http://support.unicef.org/campaign/donate-children-iraq