Iraq Protection Cluster - Humanitarian Assistance for Population living Among Combatants

The population on Sinjar Mountain has significant needs for protection services and education. The principle of humanity requires a response to address the suffering of children and survivors of gender-based violence, in particular. Safe access to services for women and girls, including reproductive health services, should be ensured.

Relative to other conflict-affected populations in the region, the population has fewer unmet material assistance needs; therefore, in line with the principle of impartiality, this population should not be prioritized for material assistance. Any distribution of material assistance should be narrowly targeted to individuals/families with specific vulnerabilities; humanitarian actors should not provide blanket distribution of material assistance on Sinjar Mountain.

In delivering assistance or services, it is important that humanitarian actors have the capacity to identify vulnerable persons independently of the undue influence of any one particular group on the mountain. Humanitarian actors should deliver assistance/services directly and develop close working relations with multiple local counterparts, representing all groups on the mountain. Humanitarian actors should consider delivering services on a mobile basis