Iraqi Refugee Assistance: Improvements Needed in Measuring Progress, Assessing Needs, Tracking Funds, and Developing an International Strategic Plan
GAO-09-120
Published: Apr 21, 2009. Publicly Released: Apr 21, 2009.
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Highlights
Iraqi refugees are one of the largest urban populations the UN has been called on to assist. The UN reports government estimates of up to 4.8 million Iraqis displaced within the last 5 years, with 2 million fleeing, primarily to Syria and Jordan. GAO examined challenges in (1) measuring and monitoring progress in achieving U.S. goals for assisting Iraqi refugees, (2) providing humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees, (3) offering solutions for Iraqi refugees, and (4) developing an international strategic plan to address the Iraqi refugee situation. GAO analyzed reports and data; met with officials from the U.S. government, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international organizations, and NGOs; and did fieldwork in Jordan and Syria.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | To enhance the ability of the Department of State to evaluate and report progress toward its stated goals and objectives to assist Iraqi refugees, the Secretary of State should develop performance measures to fully assess and report progress in achieving U.S. goals and objectives for Iraqi refugees. Performance measures and indicators should be clearly linked to progress in achieving stated goals and objectives. Performance goals, objectives, and measures should clearly and transparently address the extent to which programs should target refugees and host government populations, respectively, to the extent practicable. |
In response to GAO?s recommendation, in 2009 the Department of State?s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) established new goals and performance measures and created a spreadsheet that lists, links, and tracks annual goals, objectives, and progress made in assisting Iraqi refugees, internally displaced persons, and other conflict victims. PRM updates the spreadsheet throughout the year and includes it with the bureau's annual policy paper as part of the PRM's overall policy and program review process. The bureau's policy and program review process establishes PRM policies that link broader strategic objectives with resource allocation and performance management. Also, according to PRM, whenever possible, the bureau requires partners to disaggregate reporting on beneficiaries by gender, nationality, and internally displaced person/returnee status.
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| U.S. Agency for International Development | To provide more transparency in funding provided for Iraqi refugee programs and help Congress and the Administration consider funding requests for neighboring countries, the Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator should develop systems to separately track and report funding apportioned, obligated, and expended for Iraqi refugee programs in each host country, to the extent practicable. |
Circumstances have changed and this recommendation is no longer valid as it pertains to USAID. In the past, USAID allocated funds to assist Iraqi refugees in the region from Food for Peace and Economic Support Funds. USAID was unable to track and report the amount of funding provided to each recipient country in the region from these funds. According to USAID, funding for the agency to assist Iraqi refugees ended subsequent to our review and Congress has not appropriated any additional funding to USAID designated for assistance to Iraqi refugees. According to USAID, given that Congress is unlikely to designate funds to the agency for this purpose in the future, USAID concluded that it would not be practical to create a system to track such funds. Refugee programs in Iraq are now overseen by the Department of State?s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
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| Department of State | To provide more transparency in funding provided for Iraqi refugee programs and help Congress and the Administration consider funding requests for neighboring countries, the Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator should develop systems to separately track and report funding apportioned, obligated, and expended for Iraqi refugee programs in each host country, to the extent practicable. |
Although the Department of State agreed with this recommendation, as of August 2013, the Department of State has not provided evidence showing action taken on this recommendation. According to the Department of State, its Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is in the process of developing a new "database system" that will help to better track funding by population and country. PRM expects the use of this database to be implemented over the course of fiscal year 2014. PRM has not yet provided us with documentation regarding this planned system and its capabilities. Also, according to the Department of State, since 2010, PRM's framework agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has required it to improve its end of year financial reporting to detail how U.S. government regional or sub-regional funds were expended by country. However, PRM has not provided us with documentation demonstrating steps taken by UNHCR to meet this requirement or whether the requirement has been met. We look forward to receiving further evidence of action taken on this recommendation from the Department of State.
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| Department of State | To enhance the ability of the U.S. government and the international community to plan their assistance programs based on need and provide longer term solutions for Iraqi refugees, the Secretary of State should work with UNHCR and the governments of Jordan, Syria, and other relevant host governments to expedite efforts to conduct independent comprehensive assessments of the number and needs of Iraqi refugees and the related needs of the countries hosting them. |
Despite the continued efforts of the Department of State and its international humanitarian organization partners to work with relevant host governments to implement this recommendation, recent events in the region due to the crisis in Syria have overtaken these efforts and made this recommendation invalid. Specific information on Department of State efforts and recent events are considered sensitive but unclassified by the department and thus may not be made public.
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| Department of State | To enhance the ability of the U.S. government and the international community to plan their assistance programs based on need and provide longer term solutions for Iraqi refugees, the Secretary of State should, in conjunction with relevant U. S. agencies and in coordination with the donor community, work with UNHCR and the governments of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and other relevant host governments to build on the efforts in the 2009 UN Consolidated Appeal for Iraq and the Region and develop a comprehensive international strategy for providing assistance and solutions for Iraqi refugees. |
The Syrian crisis and resulting displacement in the region have overtaken the Iraqi refugee crisis and made this recommendation invalid as it specifically pertains to Iraqi refugees. In lieu of an international strategy, the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the U.S. Agency for International Development developed a U.S. government strategy regarding Iraqi refugees, made an unclassified version public, and updated it in September 2011 to address the changing context. Specific information on additional recent Department of State efforts with the international community and governments hosting refugees are considered sensitive but unclassified by State and thus may not be made public.
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Aid to refugeesData collectionData integrityFederal aid to foreign countriesForeign aid programsForeign governmentsHumanitarian assistanceInternal controlsInternational cooperationInternational food programsInternational organizationsInternational relationsIraq War and reconstructionNonprofit organizationsPerformance measuresPolitical refugeesProgram evaluationProgram managementRefugeesStrategic planningProgram goals or objectives