The Annual Report 2016 presents progress with implementation of the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) between 01 January and 31 December 2016. 

During 2016, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) implemented a high impact, pragmatic approach to stabilization that improves citizen-government ties and revitalizes public trust in the Iraqi Government. FFS quadrupled in size, growing from a small undertaking in a few cities to a large programme operating across 19 locations, including in the hard-hit cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in Anbar Governorate. In September 2016, before the military campaign to retake Mosul started, UNDP began preparing for its liberation, liaising with authorities to identify early priorities and rushing to pre-position US$43 million in essential equipment to immediately jumpstart basic services, notably health, electricity, and water. 

The Funding Facility continues to evolve, and now incorporates an Expanded Stabilization channel aimed at linking stabilized cities and districts to each other and generating large numbers of jobs. 

Overall, UNDP’s FFS has contributed to laying the foundations for the return of over 1.39 million Iraqi men, women, and children since the start of the conflict. Cities such as Ramadi, Fallujah, and Tikrit are once again flourishing as hubs of economic development. Nevertheless, over three million people remain internally displaced. Continued stabilization assistance will remain essential in creating the conditions for their return home.