Iraq: United Nations and Humanitarian Aid Organizations

The war with Iraq, which began on March 19, 2003, has now moved into a new phase as a result of coalition forces controlling all of the major cites in Iraq and the end of the Iraqi political and military leadership. Currently, the main focus is the reconstruction of Iraq, providing humanitarian assistance, and establishing a new interim government. The United Nations U.N. and other international aid organizations, including nongovernmental organizations NGOs, are coordinating and providing humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, and the Coalition Provisional Authority CPA, headed by the new chief civil administrator in Iraq L. Paul Bremer III, is responsible for the administration and humanitarian efforts in Iraq. This report provides an annotated list of U.N. agencies that currently have programs 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 of the U.N. agencies and humanitarian aid organizations are also provided.