Erbil, Iraq, 19 May 2016 – The humanitarian situation in Iraq continues to worsen due to the intensification of military campaigns. In Diyala Governorate, Eastern Iraq, approximately 15,600 Internally Displaced Persons are residing in camps where access to basic services is limited.  The on-going insecurity and limited services underscore the criticality of improving services for protection of women and girls. In January 2015, the United Nations Population Fund in cooperation with its national partner, Civil Development Organization established Al-Salam Women Service Center at Alwand 1 camp in Khanaqin District in Diyala Governorate.

Al-Wand 1 camp hosts more than 930 internally displaced families and around 6,400 individuals. Majority of the IDPs are coming from the surrounding districts of Mikdaya (50%), Saadiya (30%) and Jalawla (20%) which are all neighbouring Khanaqin district. During the last four months and since the establishment of the Al-Salam Women Service Center, more than 850 women and girls have visited the center while around 300 sessions have been conducted focusing on activities to enhance preserving dignity and protection of women and girls. More than 100 women have been provided with psychosocial support services and around 200 women and girls have attended recreational activities as an entry point to information on available GBV and reproductive health services.

The Al-Salam Women Service Center in Alwand 1 camp is the second women centre established by UNFPA in Diyala. A similar centre was established earlier in  Baquba.

This UNFPA intervention comes as part of the ''Provision of protection and response services to meet the needs of women and girls in Iraq” joint programme between UNFPA and UNICEF in Iraq, funded by the Norwegian Government, that was initiated in December 2015. The programme consists of three main pillars; direct GBV service delivery; community outreach and awareness raising; and adolescent girls programming. The programme is implemented in Ninewa and Diyala with UNFPA providing support in both locations and UNICEF providing support in Diyala.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.