Mugdadiyah, Iraq — April 6, 2009 — Today, U.S. Ambassador Marc Wall, Counselor Minister of the office of Economic Transition Initiatives at the US Embassy in Baghdad, met with staff from IRD’s USAID-funded Community Stabilization Program (CSP) in Baquba, Iraq. The Ambassador specifically visited the Muqdadiyah market and met with locals, shop owners and municipal leaders as part of a tour of successful U.S. initiatives that are the result of cooperation between the Provincial Reconstruction Teams, CSP, USAID/IRD and local governments.

“We were thrilled that the improved security conditions allowed Ambassador Wall to witness first hand the benefits provided by the U.S. Government to the Iraqi people,” said Michele Lemmon, IRD Senior Program Officer.

Muqdadiyah market is the central economic hub for the northern sector of Diyala region in Iraq, which in 2008 was the center of constant tension between insurgent groups and US troops. But recently, residents of the Muqdadiyah have welcomed the US presence, in part because the CSP work has helped them revitalize the local market economy. CSP's goal is to raise these stricken markets out of the rubble and aftermath of the explosions and rebuild them to restore jobs and livelihoods.

With an investment of almost $2 million dollars in 2009, IRD refurbished the Muqdadiyah market and provided maintenance to the telephone network, lighting, water and irrigation systems that are bringing stability and improved infrastructure to the city. The changes support more than 700 shops in the market.

In Mugdadiyah, CSP has also cleaned of 125 km of irrigation canals that will impact more than 200 farms and 15,000 people in rural areas, as well as trained 300 prospective grant recipients on small business planning and operation, including a class for female-owned business growth.

In 2009 alone, CSP in Muqdadiyah has created 340 short-term jobs and provided 219 long term jobs for the unemployed work force. Through the counterinsurgency (COIN) part of the program, IRD has engaged almost 4,000 young people in peaceful sporting events, educational trainings and vocational seminars and to counter insurgency recruitment.

IRD has been working in Iraq since 2003 to help rebuild communities and to provide humanitarian aid to those displaced by war.  Currently, IRD is implementing three programs funded by USAID that help the Iraqi people develop skills, improve infrastructure, create new sustainable businesses, identify and address community needs and provide immediate assistance and emergency needs to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable returnees. IRD is also implementing programs funded by the U.S. Department of State to improve the mental health of Iraqis across geographic and sectarian bounderies, rebuild the capabilities of Iraq's museums, heritage, and archaeology organizations and to promote national unity by preserving the rich Iraqi cultural heritage, and provide technical assistance to the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity.