MONITORING AND EVALUATING ICMC'S HUMANITARIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 002273 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, NEA/ARN AND NEA/NGA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM IZ JO SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATING ICMC'S HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN REF: A) PRM MONITORING GUIDANCE OF 9/29/03 B) 03 AMMAN 1587 ¶1. REGIONAL REFCOORD AND REF ASSISTANT MONITORED ICMC'S HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN ON FEBRUARY 25 (COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SPRMCO03CA127). IN ADDITION TO MEETINGS AT CARITAS (ICMC'S LOCAL IMPLEMENTING PARTNER),WE ALSO CONDUCTED HOME VISITS TO FOUR PROSPECTIVE BENEFICIARIES WITH PROJECT CASEWORKERS. REF ASSISTANT AND VISITING PRM/ANE PROGRAM OFFICER ALSO MONITORED THE PROJECT IN SEPTEMBER 2003. CABLE IS KEYED TO MONITORING GUIDANCE PROVIDED REF A. ¶A. REFCOORD AND REF ASSISTANT MET WITH ICMC PROJECT MANAGER CLIVE CAVANAGH AND CARITAS PROJECT OFFICER RANA ISHAQ ON FEBRUARY 25 AT THE CARITAS PROJECT OFFICE IN AMMAN. THEY ALSO CONDUCTED HOME VISITS WITH CARITAS CASEWORKERS GABY DAW AND NADA DALAQ. ¶B. ICMC AND ITS LOCAL IMPLEMENTING PARTNER CARITAS ARE RUNNING A SOLID, WELL-PERFORMING PROJECT THAT IS REACHING VULNERABLE IRAQIS THROUGHOUT JORDAN. IT IS MEETING AND, IN SOME CASES, HAS ALREADY EXCEEDED KEY PROJECT OBJECTIVES DUE TO HIGH DEMAND FOR ASSISTANCE AND NEGOTIATED REDUCTIONS IN THE COST OF PROVIDING SERVICES. THE PROJECT ADDRESSES PRM CROSS-CUTTING POLICY GOALS OF PROTECTION, WOMEN, CHILDREN AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. HOWEVER, AS MORE TIME PASSES SINCE THE FALL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME, IT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO CLASSIFY IRAQIS IN JORDAN AS REFUGEES OR ASYLUM- SEEKERS. MOST APPEAR TO BE IRREGULAR MOVERS IN SEARCH OF A NEW, PERMANENT HOME. WHILE THEIR ILLEGAL STATUS LEAVES THEM VULNERABLE IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO SERVICES, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO IRREGULAR IRAQI MOVERS SHOULD LAST INDEFINITELY. ¶C. FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2003 UNTIL FEBRUARY 15, 2004, CARITAS RECEIVED 1,561 CASES, PROVIDING SERVICES TO 1,091 CASES THAT MET THE EXTREME VULNERABILITY CRITERIA. PROJECT MANAGER CAVANAGH REPORTS THAT 65 PERCENT OF THE CASES ARE NEW, AS PREVIOUS BENEFICIARIES (WHO LAST YEAR KEPT COMING BACK TO CARITAS FOR MORE ASSISTANCE) NOW UNDERSTAND THAT CARITAS IS ABLE TO PROVIDE ONLY LIMITED ASSISTANCE. AS OF FEBRUARY 15, ICMC PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING SERVICES: - 504 IRAQIS RECEIVED OUTPATIENT MEDICAL CARE (VICE A TARGET OF 2,000 BY AUGUST 31) - 182 IRAQIS RECEIVED INPATIENT MEDICAL SERVICES (VICE A TARGET OF 500 BY AUGUST 31) - 268 IRAQIS RECEIVED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (VICE A TARGET OF 500 BY AUGUST 31) - 195 IRAQI CHILDREN ARE ENROLLED IN ACCREDITED PRIMARY SCHOOLS (VICE A TARGET OF 100 BY AUGUST 31) - 9 IRAQI FAMILIES RECEIVED LIMITED ACCOMMODATIONS SUPPORT (NOT INCLUDED AS A SPECIFIC PROJECT OBJECTIVE); AND - 7 IRAQI FAMILIES RECEIVED LIMITED FOOD ASSISTANCE (NOT INCLUDED AS A SPECIFIC PROJECT OBJECTIVE) CAVANAGH REPORTS AN INCREASED DEMAND AMONG THE IRAQI COMMUNITY FOR BASIC HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR RENT AND FOOD ASSISTANCE, PROGRAMS NOT SPECIFICALLY COVERED IN THE GRANT AGREEMENT. IN VERY SPECIFIC CASES OF EXTREME VULNERABILITY (E.G., A PREGNANT, SINGLE FEMALE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD AND AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO COLLAPSED FROM MALNUTRITION-RELATED PROBLEMS IN THE CARITAS OFFICE),CARITAS DECIDED TO USE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FUNDS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL ASSISTANCE SUCH AS TWO MONTHS OF RENT (ROUGHLY USD 100) OR A ONE-TIME FOOD AID PACKAGE. BASED ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE FROM CARITAS CASEWORKERS AND FROM THE BENEFICIARIES THEMSELVES, MANY POOR IRAQIS IN JORDAN -- BOTH OLD AND NEW CASELOAD -- HAVE SIMPLY EXHAUSTED THEIR REMAINING FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND ARE UNABLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES THROUGH WHATEVER CASUAL JOBS THEY CAN FIND. THERE IS AN INCREASING NUMBER OF FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS AMONG THE IRAQI COMMUNITY, AS IRAQI MEN LEAVE THEIR FAMILIES HERE "TEMPORARILY" EITHER TO REESTABLISH HOMES IN IRAQ OR SEEK WORK IN EUROPE, NEVER RETURNING TO JORDAN. A FEW IRAQIS HAVE COME TO JORDAN SPECIFICALLY FOR CARITAS' MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BUT CAVANAGH DECLINED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THESE CASES. THANKS TO NEGOTIATED REDUCTIONS IN HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION COSTS, CARITAS HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO A GREATER NUMBER OF IRAQIS. IN THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR, CAVANAGH NEGOTIATED INPATIENT SERVICE AGREEMENTS WITH A NEW SERVICE PROVIDER, PALESTINE HOSPITAL, THAT IN TURN PROMPTED TRADITIONAL CARITAS PARTNER, THE ITALIAN HOSPITAL, TO REDUCE THE RATES CHARGED TO CARITAS UNDER THE GRANT AGREEMENT. IN ADDITION TO REACHING MORE PATIENTS, THE SAVINGS ALSO ENABLED CARITAS TO PERFORM A GREATER NUMBER OF MORE COMPLICATED MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS HEART OR CANCER SURGERIES. IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR, CARITAS HAS BEGUN SENDING IRAQI CHILDREN TO GOJ SCHOOLS, AT A COST OF 25 JD (USD 35) PER PUPIL PER YEAR, VERSUS THE 177 JD (USD 247) PER PUPIL PER YEAR REQUIRED TO SEND STUDENTS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT BUDGET. REFCOORD VERIFIED COSTS AND SERVICES THROUGH A SPOT-INSPECTION OF INVOICES AND COPIES OF PRESCRIPTIONS. CARITAS HAS EXPANDED ITS OPERATIONS TO REACH VULNERABLE IRAQIS OUTSIDE AMMAN, INCLUDING IN MAFRAQ, SAHAB AND MADABA. IRAQIS LIVING IN THESE AREAS HEARD ABOUT THE CARITAS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THROUGH THE IRAQI GRAPEVINE AND MANY HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO CARITAS BY OTHER RELIEF AGENCIES, INCLUDING UNHCR. CARITAS COORDINATES EXTENSIVELY WITH OTHER NGOS IN JORDAN AND PARTICIPATES IN MEETINGS OF UNHCR IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS. FINALLY, ICMC - BOTH THROUGH LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE CAVANAGH AND GENEVA-BASED STAFF - HAS WORKED WITH CARITAS OFFICIALS TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL REPORTING. CAVANAGH (WHO HAD COMPLAINED BITTERLY ABOUT CARITAS' FINANCIAL PROCEDURES UNDER THE FIRST GRANT AGREEMENT) SAID ICMC IS NOW SATISFIED WITH CARITAS' FINANCIAL REPORTING AND TRANSFERS SYSTEM. ¶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¶E. CARITAS' TEAM OF SIX SOCIAL WORKERS, A PROJECT OFFICER, PROJECT MANAGER AND ONE SECRETARY SEEMS ADEQUATE FOR THE CASELOAD, ESPECIALLY SINCE CARITAS IMPLEMENTED AN APPOINTMENT SYSTEM IN SEPTEMBER 2003 THAT ENABLES THE TEAM TO BETTER MANAGE THE HIGH DEMAND FOR SERVICES. ALL PERSONNEL APPEAR TO BE FULLY EMPLOYED. ¶F. THE CARITAS PROJECT OFFICE - THREE ROOMS IN A DOWNTOWN AMMAN OFFICE BUILDING -- IS CLEAN, SPACIOUS AND FULLY UTILIZED. ALL EQUIPMENT APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND USED ON A REGULAR BASIS. CARITAS HAS AN APPROPRIATE INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR ALL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES PURCHASED WITH PRM FUNDS. ¶G. Refcoord reviewed Caritas' inventory system and confirmed that all PRM-purchased equipment can be identified and located. ¶H. WHILE REAL HUMANITARIAN NEEDS EXIST AMONG SOME OF THE ESTIMATED 300,000 IRAQIS RESIDENT IN JORDAN, IT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY CONTINUED ASSISTANCE TO IRAQIS LIVING OUTSIDE IRAQ. NEARLY A YEAR AFTER THE FALL OF BAGHDAD, MOST VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN SEEM TO FIT THE DEFINITION OF ECONOMIC MIGRANT OR IRREGULAR MOVER, RATHER THAN REFUGEE. SHOULD PRM CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE PROGRAM BE CAREFULLY TAILORED TO REFLECT UNHCR POLICY ON ASSISTED RETURNS. AS SOON AS UNHCR LIFTS ITS TEMPORARY PROTECTION ORDER FOR IRAQIS AND ORGANIZES ASSISTED RETURNS, PRM-FUNDED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SHOULD CHANGE TO SUPPORT VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. GNEHM