USAID Increases its Support to Religious and Ethnic Minority Support in Iraq

In December 2020, USAID obligated an additional $16.3 million to stabilization and religious and ethnic minority (REM) programming in Iraq. The funding will increase the overall USAID contributions ($389 million since 2017) to multiple ongoing programs that support REM communities. 

New funding includes $11.4 million for the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), raising the total contribution of the United States to the FFS to $419.5 million. These funds will focus on restoring essential services to Sinjar in support of the Sinjar Agreement. The U.S. remains the largest donor to the FFS. 

USAID’s Shared Future program also received an additional $4.9 million, bringing the total award to $17.7 million. Shared Future is implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), with local partners Caritas Iraq, Iraqi Al-Amal Association, and YouthBuild International. The funds will help to continue the successful youth social cohesion and livelihoods programming in the Ninewa Plain. 
 

For more information, please contact: cmclinden@gmail.com