Responding to legacy contamination and emerging threats for the protection of conflict-affected communities, refugees and displaced people, and enabling the reconstruction and stabilisation of Iraq

Iraq has a long history of tension and violence, including both internal unrest and conflict with external forces, which has resulted in the country being one of the most heavily contaminated in the world. Heavy fighting between the central government in Iraq and Kurds living in the northern part of the country in the 1970s, the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s and the First and Second Gulf Wars (1990-91 and 2003 respectively), have all left their mark, with the country currently struggling to cope with the aftermath. Fractured throughout the past decade, the conflict situation in Iraq has been particularly acute since the beginning of the war in Syria, reaching crisis point in 2014 when ISIS forces took control of large parts of the country. Today battles still rage in many regions of Iraq, killing hundreds, provoking mass displacements of people, and causing untold damage to homes and infrastructure. The contamination context in Iraq is complex as a result of the series of conflicts outlined above. Legacy contamination from tactical minefields remains along international borders with Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, as well as internally along the former ‘Green Line’ between the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KR-I) and central/south Iraq. Latest estimates put total confirmed and suspected landmine contamination in Iraq at 1,604km2 across 3620 suspected or Confirmed Hazardous Areas. In addition, an estimated 236km² remain contaminated with cluster munitions in the centre and south of the country. More recently, contamination from both conventional and improvised ERW, landmines and booby traps has been on the increase, due to heavy fighting between ISIS and government forces. Due to the recent nature of this fighting, the full scale and scope of this contamination is, unknown. Under this planned project, clearance activities will be carried out in both legacy-contaminated and newly-contaminated areas, with a particular focus on Sulymaniya, Diyala, Kirkuk and Ninewa governorates. According to latest statistics 60% (179 km²) of remaining minefields in KR-I are in Sulymaniya governorate, and a further 52km² are in the governorates of Diyala and Kirkuk. A significant number of cluster munitions contaminated areas remain, particularly in Kirkuk governorate, although a comprehensive survey to determine the full scale and scope of cluster munitions contamination has not been conducted. Following ISIS presence in Diyala, Kirkuk and Ninewa governorates in the past two years, contamination from both conventional and improvised mines and other ERW has been widespread.