Diyala Initiative |
What is the Diyala Initiative?
Diyala suffered some of the worst sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007 forcibly displacing more than a hundred thousand inhabitants. Destruction of basic infrastructures including individual homes was massive; please see the photo gallery for a first hand look at the scale of damage. Starting in 2008 and continuing to date, the Governorate of Diyala recorded the second highest number of refugee and IDP returns. These returns were primarily a reflection of marked improvement in security, access to property and introduction of government compensation programmes.
Building upon these improvements but being cognizant of the security and socio-economic challenges for sustainable reintegration, the Government of Iraq conceived of the Diyala Initiative. This was articulated in Order 54, which established a Higher Committee to oversee the Diyala Initiative to encourage further returns and create conditions for reintegration. The Initiative is multi-sector focussing on interventions in water, electricity, agriculture, shelter and infrastructure. The Government of Iraq has committed a total of 87 billion Iraqi Dinars and is creating 20,000 short-term jobs for this Initiative in addition to on-going Governmental recovery efforts.
Pulling on diverse expertise, ten (10) international actors are partnering with the Government of Iraq in this endeavour.
UNHCR, in its capacity as the mandated UN Refugee Agency and the lead of the Protection Outcome Team/ Cluster, has a responsibility for coordinating return and reintegration of displaced populations in support the Government of Iraq.
The Initiative focuses on promoting return, the key solution for hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced individuals to and within Diyala, with an aim to set a precedent for return and reintegration throughout the country. While of a humanitarian nature, the Initiative also addresses development and peace building challenges of the country.
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