Iraq News Now

May 22, 2020, Baghdad: In response to the emerging needs in Iraq due to current COVID-19 pandemic, FAO- Iraq has delivered hygiene, disinfectants sprayers and Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the KRG Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MoAWR) in the presence of representatives of both ministries' officials and FAO. This initiative will allow governmental staff to continue their daily work to support farmers and ensure the continuity of the food supply chain in Iraq.

FAO Iraq has initiated technical support to promoting food safety and hygiene practices by developing training material in coordination with partner agencies and stakeholders. In addition, FAO also formulates a plan to provide training for extension officers to sustain services according to hygiene and personal safety procedures. These efforts will reduce the risk of the transmission of the virus along the food supply chain. FAO also addressed text messages to farmers to adhere with COVID19 recommendations issued by the concerned committee,
In consultation with both ministers and in coordination with the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Bank, FAO has been conducting assessments on monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on food security and will continue to monitor the situation in the country.

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect the world, including Iraq. Movement restrictions and curfews remain in place to curtail transmission of the disease; however, farmers are still able to travel during lockdown to access fields in coordination with the authorities and local councils.

"FAO is giving great attention to the health of the Iraqi farmers and will continue to provide the technical and logistical support required to protect the health and safety of ministries staff as well as the farmers all over Iraq. Said Dr. Salah ElHajj Hassan FAO Representative in Iraq. He also added that FAO Iraq is working closely with MoA in Baghdad and Erbil to improve agricultural productivity and to ensure the continuity of the food supply chain to sustain further food security. Dr. ElHajj Hassan expressed his appreciation to the European Union for their continuous support to Iraq through FAO in order to enable the continuous provision of support and cooperation with the national authorities. He thanked the Iraqi authorities for their cooperation with FAO.

For more information, please contact

Mr. Mowaffaq Al-Refai, FAO Iraq Communication Officer +9647801627585 E-mail: mowaffaq.alrefai@fao.org