DfID outlines its work in Iraq

Parliamentary Answers 7th February

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has allocated for the reconstruction and development of Iraq in each of the next three years; and through which channels the money will be distributed.

Mr. Thomas: The UK will spend at least another £100 million over the next three years on humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq on top of our 2003 Madrid pledge of £544 million, which is now fully disbursed. This further allocation of £100 million brings the total UK commitment to £644 million.

Some of this funding will be channelled through DFID’s bilateral programme of assistance to Iraq. This will help the Iraqi Government to make better use of their substantial oil resources; and assist the Iraqi Government, at provincial and national level, to plan and deliver investment in basic services (electricity, hospitals, etc.), improve oil production levels, generate jobs and manage its own resources more effectively. In addition, funding will be channelled through the UK’s contribution to EC funding for Iraq, and through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP).

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reconstruction and development objectives his Department set for (a) education, (b) water and sanitation, (c) health care and (d) microfinance in Iraq prior to the invasion of Iraq; to what extent they have been met; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Thomas: Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, DFID objectives were to ensure that there was sufficient preparation to avert a major humanitarian crisis during and immediately after the conflict and facilitate the rapid restoration of essential services such as health care, power, and water and sanitation. Much of our initial support was channelled through United Nations agencies, the International Red Cross and non-governmental organisations. These organisations moved back into Iraq quickly and set up effective humanitarian operations after the major conflict ended. They had experience of working in Iraq, well-established local networks and a capacity to deliver assistance on the ground. While several agencies withdrew expatriate personnel from Iraq for security reasons during the remainder of 2003, many of their programmes continued under the management of well-qualified local staff.

There have been successes:

In education, over 5,000 schools have been rehabilitated; more than 100,000 primary and 40,000 secondary schools teachers have been trained; and over 70 million new textbooks distributed.

In water and sanitation, around £660 million has been spent on over 300 projects to repair essential infrastructure; but decades of neglect and an ageing infrastructure means that the overall access to drinkable water and sewage systems remains similar to pre 2003 levels.

In health care, over 5 million children have received life-saving vaccinations. More than 1,000 health care facilities rehabilitated or equipped, and more than 6,000 health workers trained. Through extensive disease control programmes, the prevalence of leishmaniasis, measles, malaria and polio has declined.

In microfinance, two institutions are operating across Iraq, which have made US$78 million worth of loans to over 40,000 clients.

Continued violence, including sabotage of key infrastructure facilities, and low (but growing) levels of technical capacity in Iraq’s national and local governments have made progress difficult. However, Iraq is not a poor country. The Iraqi Government plans to spend over £20 billion (US$40 billion) in 2007. The real challenge is to help the Government of Iraq spend this money effectively so that Iraqis see real improvements. DFID is providing expert advice to help the Government do this at national and provincial level.