Norway donates 9 mln USD for recovery of Iraqi areas liberated from IS

The United Nations said on Thursday that Norway has offered a contribution of about 9 million U.S. dollars to support the efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraqi areas liberated from the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants.

The Norwegian government and the UN Development Program (UNDP) signed a partnership agreement for the contribution, according to a statement by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.

The contribution will be channelled through UNDP's Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the IS, the statement said.

The latest contribution to FFS is the 10th from Norway since 2015, bringing its total contributions to 45 million dollars.

"Norway is the seventh largest contributor of the 27 donors that fund the FFS," the statement noted.

"FFS helps quickly repair essential public infrastructure, boosts the capacity of local government, and provides short-term employment opportunities," it said.

The UNDP established the FFS in June 2015 at the request of the Iraqi government to facilitate the return of displaced Iraqis, lay the groundwork for recovery, and safeguard against the resurgence of violence.

So far, the FFS has implemented more than 2,500 projects in key areas in the Iraqi provinces of Anbar, Salahudin, Diyala, Kirkuk and Nineveh with "600 more projects pending for additional funds."