The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international
humanitarian organisation with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. DRC works in conflict-affected areas, along the
migration routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible
and sustainable solutions. DRC works toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish
to return home.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health,
safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call
of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their
future and strengthen their communities.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. In crises
across 31 countries, NRC provides emergency and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. NRC promotes and
defends displaced people’s rights locally, nationally and on the world stage. NORCAP, NRC’s expert deployment capacity, helps
improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. NRC also runs the Internal
Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their
own countries.
The Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) was established in 2015 to enhance the impact of multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA)
delivery, fostering closer operational cooperation, and expanding geographical reach. The CCI is made up of five implementing
partners, led by Mercy Corp and includes DRC, IRC, NRC, and Oxfam. Since its establishment, the CCI has reached 75,000
vulnerable households (approximately 450,000 individuals) with MPCA across Iraq.
Authors: Alexandra Saieh and Naomi Petersohn.
Acknowledgements: Thanks go to Jesse Delbridge for leading design of the research tools, coordinating the data collection,
and conducting the quantitative analysis, and Oliver Westerman for his support to that process; to NRC’s Information
Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) and cash team colleagues, and protection colleagues at DRC and IRC, particularly
Tania Marcello and Erin Fahy-Hampton, for supporting the field research and facilitating interviews; to the staff at the Cash
Consortium for Iraq for their support during the editing process. We sincerely thank the many participants who shared their
stories and experience. The research for this report was conducted with the generous support of the United Kingdom’s
Department for International Development’s (DFID) Research and Innovation Fund through the Cash Consortium for Iraq.
Disclaimers: The content of this document should not be regarded as reflecting the position of DFID. Any errors in this
document are the authors’ own.
Front Cover: Hana, a mother of seven, said “Three of my kids
don’t have birth certificates or any legal documents as they were
born under IS group. For the government, they don’t exist. They
can’t leave the camp or receive medical care.” She says, “My 2
year old child has breathing issues and asthma, due to the harsh
weather conditions.
©NRC/Tom Peyre-Costa