Iraq: United Nations and Humanitarian Aid Organizations

Publication Date: July 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: International relations

Type:

Coverage: Iraq

Abstract:

The war with Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), which began on March 19, 2003, to overthrow Saddam Hussein and change the regime was accomplished when the Iraqi regime fell on April 9, 2003. On June 28, 2004, the U.S.-led coalition transferred full sovereignty to the Iraqi interim government, and the Iraqi government is now running the day-to-day operations of the country.

During the past year, elections were held in Iraq for a transitional National Assembly on January 30, 2005, and a permanent constitution was adopted on October 15, 2005. On December 15, 2005, elections were held for a permanent (four year) national assembly. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki named and won approval of a 39-member cabinet on May 20, 2006.

This report provides an annotated list of U.N. agencies that are involved in Iraq, key U.S. government agencies, and a sample list of major international and U.S.based aid organizations that are providing humanitarian assistance to Iraq. Internet links to the U.N. agencies and humanitarian aid organizations are also provided. For detailed discussion on humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq, see CRS Report RL31833, Iraq: Recent Developments in Reconstruction Assistance, by Curt Tarnoff. This report will be updated as events warrant.