Iraq News Now

In Numbers

266 mt of food assistance distributed

US$180,371 cash based transfers made

US$1 m six months (February-July 2019) net funding requirements

29,992 people assisted in December 2018

Operational Updates

• In December, WFP successfully reached 29,801 refugees as per the target. This number includes approximately 8,344 women, 8,344 men, 6,259 girls, and 6,854 boys. The people assisted received a total cash transfer value of USD 180,371 and 266 mt of fortified wheat flour entitlements.

• The price of food items in the country has increased in the past six months. Therefore, WFP decided to increase the level of its assistance by adding fortified vegetable oil to refugees’ food basket as a temporary measure to ensure food security of refugees are met. As of December, each refugee received a bottle of vegetable oil (810 gr) in addition to 9 kg of wheat flour as a monthly food entitlement.

• Following the joint WFP/ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) rapid assessment mission that took place in October to start up a pilot livelihood project in Semnan settlement, a bilateral agreement was signed by both agencies to establish a greenhouse for refugees.

• In support of the education of female refugees, WFP has shifted from providing in-kind vegetable oil incentives to families to a monthly cash-based transfer (CBT) entitlement. Households with girls who regularly attend school receive a cash entitlement of USD 5 for each student. This is used to encourage families to continue the education of girls which increases school enrolment, maintains retention rates, and reduces the incidences of early marriage.

• There are multiple benefits to the use of CBT. This modality empowers people to choose what they eat and can contribute to a more diversified diet for improved nutrition.

• Furthermore, cash transfers are known to have a multiplier effect on the local economy and strengthen local markets, encourage smallholder farmers to be more productive and build national capacities.