Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress of (1) material, and (2) social, reconstruction in Iraq.

The fight against Daesh led to widespread damage to infrastructure, housing and communities across Iraq. The World Bank has estimated the cost of material reconstruction to be at least £67 billion. An unquantifiable but equally serious social cost has simultaneously been exacted on Iraqi society.

The UN has spearheaded stabilisation efforts with its Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS), which helps stabilise areas liberated from Daesh by repairing infrastructure and vital facilities such as hospitals and schools. To date, almost 1400 projects have been completed by the FFS. The FFS has been the largest recipient of the UK’s own stabilisation funding in Iraq.

There are also numerous examples of International Community-led activities focused on social cohesion and reconciliation. The FFS works to build cohesion amongst communities as the displaced return to their homes. Alongside this, the UK has spent £2.68 million targeting community safety and reintegration projects in Salah-al-Din and Nineveh.

The UK and International Community will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraq as it rebuilds post-Daesh. However, as the immediate crisis recedes, only the Government of Iraq has the mandate, tools and capacity to take the primary role in driving systematic, long-term reconstruction across the country.