Iraq

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Emergency Livelihoods and Social Cohesion Cluster

At the global level there is an Early Recovery (ER) cluster. However, all clusters have the mandate to cover early recovery in their thematic area so at the country level the ER cluster is renamed to clearly reflect the specific thematic areas that it coordinates. The thematic areas will be those components that are required for a community to begin ‘Recovery’ that are not covered by other clusters. In the case of Iraq they are Emergency Livelihoods and Social Cohesion (EL&SC).

As you will see by reading the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) Social Cohesion and Emergency Livelihoods are very closely linked as social tension is most likely to arise if livelihoods become scarce. In the humanitarian context of Iraq

Social Cohesion is defined as:

“A general condition of stable co-existence within communities, when IDPs, refugees, and host community members accept socio-ethnic differences, have equitable access to livelihoods and other community resources, and feel safe and secure in their homes.”

Emergency Livelihoods are defined as:

“relatively immediate and short term, non-agricultural,[1] activities that enable a vulnerable person or family, to earn an income by a dignified means and so enable them to make independent decisions of how best to meet their needs.”

Emergency Livelihoods reduce aide dependence, promote resilience, stimulate the local economy and increase access to services and basic commodities by providing income.

Objective of the EL&SC :

Build the resilience of IDPs, host communities and refugees and enable them to become self-reliant during chronic crisis, in their chosen location of Iraq, through support to community assets, increasing access to regular income and opening channels for dialogue.