Iraq: Multicluster Needs Assessment of IDPs out of camps
3 August 2016
The Multi Cluster Needs Assessment (MCNA) is an iterative cluster-led program and the primary multi-cluster nationwide needs assessment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) out of camps in Iraq. The MCNA is providing a quantitative evidence base for humanitarian decision makers with the purpose of informing planning, sector prioritization and target group identification.
Coordinated through the cluster and OCHA focal points and designed in close collaboration with cluster partners, the findings of the MCNA provide insight into the key needs and gaps of IDPs in non-camp settings across Iraq, with findings statistically representative at both governorate and district level. Data collection took place between 17 March and 30 April 2016 across accessible areas in Iraq. In total, 4,573 IDP household were interviewed in 16 out of 18 governorates. Data collection in Baghdad and Salah al-Din was kindly supported through Mercy Corps.
The MCNA III assessment found that after years of struggling with protracted displacement, IDP households outside camps have often depleted their financial resources and are resorting to increasingly negative coping mechanisms to afford basic needs. Taking on debt to satisfy basic needs has increased by over one third to a total of 30% of all households since the MCNA II (June 2015), while relying on savings decreased drastically from MCNA II (64% of all IDPs) to MCNA III (35%), indicating a depletion of resources. Limited financial means have negatively affected access to basic services: whilst overall reported access to services such as healthcare or education remained constant since the MCNA II, financial costs are currently the single most reported barrier to accessing these services.
The MCNA has become one of the key reference sources on the needs of IDPs outside camps in Iraq, capturing both immediate needs and longitudinal trends over time. Thereby, it supports planning, sector prioritization and target group identification for immediate humanitarian interventions. It is also a key tool for identification of emerging needs of IDPs outside camps across Iraq.
Click here for the final report.
All other REACH Iraq publications are available on the Iraq page of the REACH Resource Centre.
