Iraq News Now

In Numbers

378,203 people assisted in February 2020

178 mt of food assistance distributed USD 681,337 distributed through cash-based transfers

USD 47.1 million six months net funding requirements (April – September 2020)

Operational Updates

• In February, WFP delivered food assistance to 378,203 people in 11 governorates, reaching 58 percent of the monthly target of 652,661 people. This was mainly due to banking transfer delays, and growing operational challenges due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). 209,031IDPs from the January cycle were also reached in February.

• Protests continue in Iraq (except in the Kurdistan Region and some northern areas), spurred by disenfranchised people because of a lack of employment opportunities, perceived corruption and a lack of basic services. There was continued uncertainty and civil unrest after the rejection of both the former Prime Minister and PMelect.

• In 2020, WFP has shifted its food assistance from in-kind food to cash-based transfers (CBT) in an additional three governorates: Anbar, Ninewa and Salah al-Din. This has resulted in 96 percent of all assistance in Iraq being provided through CBT. Sensitization materials continued to be disseminated throughout the camps, as part of ongoing communication with communities work.

• By the end of February, 21,448 people had fled from northeast Syria into Duhok in the Kurdistan Region, following the Turkish operations that started in October, and WFP has delivered food assistance for over 21,000 refugees in Bardarash and Gawilan camps. In both camps, WFP is continuing to distribute ready-to-eat food packages (IRR) for new arrivals, and one-month family food rations (FFR) after two days. Arrivals slowed to 40-60 per day.

• WFP’s Resilience Team met with FAO to discuss operationalising a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed last year. The agencies will collaborate on a workshop to plan resilience activities in Basra, on mapping current activities in the north, and on a roadmap for joint programming for the next five years.

• WFP’s Supply Chain team is putting in place the essential requirements for the CSP contingency plan, in case the situation ever requires switching from cash-based to inkind food assistance. The preparations entail measures for local food procurement, inland and warehousing contracts, handling and customs services, among others.

• WFP’s Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) consultant on nutrition conducted a meeting, with extensive government and partner participation. The new campaign, to promote healthy eating, will roll out in the coming months.

• Preparations are underway for the start of the new EMPACT “Empowerment in Action” programme in Anbar, Baghdad, Erbil, Ninewa, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah. Due to COVID-19, it is likely that the start of classes for the new cohort will be pushed from March to April or May.

• Two Protection, Gender and Accountability to Affected Populations training sessions were held as part of wider workshops with cooperating partners, e-voucher retailers and WFP staff.

• Since its relaunch in December 2019, the School Feeding programme continues to expand across Iraq.
In February, three additional targeted governorates (Wasit, Thi-Qar and Maysan) started, expanding the reach to over 312,000 children. Due to COVID-19 however, many schools across the country are temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, meaning that the delivery of meals is also on hold.

• Under the testing phase of the digitalization of Iraq’s social protection programme, the Public Distribution System (PDS) of food rations, WFP is providing thought leadership in identity management and interoperability services to the government. This is to leverage existing iris biometrics captured by the Ministry of Interior (as the custodian of identity documents in Iraq) for the verification and provision of other government social protection services.
Discussions with the Ministry of Interior continue around linking the PDS functional identity with the national unified foundational ID document.