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Press Release
17 May 2022
SYRIAN REFUGEES IN IRAQ WILL LOSE ACCESS TO BASIC FOODS WITHOUT URGENT FUNDS
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Press Release
16 May 2022
Japan and UNOPS Enhanced Access to Primary Health Services in Anbar Governorate
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Press Release
16 May 2022
UNFPA commemorates the International Day of Families in Basra
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Iraq
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Iraq:
Publication
06 September 2021
United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework IRAQ (UNSDCF)
For decades, Iraq has suffered political instability caused by armed conflict, waves of internal displacement, and the resulting socio‐economic crises. The decline in the oil prices, on which the Government2is heavily dependent, the proliferation of armed actors operating outside State control, and the COVID‐19 pandemic exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. The youth popular uprisings, which started in October 2019, called for improved governance system, meaningful political reforms, economic growth, accountable political institutions and job opportunities.
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Speech
09 April 2022
Closing ceremony | Thematic Round Tables on Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR) Practices, SRSG Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert Keynote Address
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today.
In the past two months, a series of roundtables between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations were organised to enable us to collectively address the many critical and sensitive questions surrounding the return, rehabilitation, reintegration and, where necessary, the prosecution, of individuals displaced in North-eastern Syria.
There is no denying it: this is a uniquely challenging context. And while certain developments deserve our full commendation and support, others are deeply preoccupying - reminding us that time is of the essence. Reminding us that decisive, collective action is urgently needed.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is difficult to overstate the complexity of the task at hand for Iraq: in al-Hol Camp, mere hours from the Iraqi border, nearly 30,000 Iraqis with varying degrees of association to ISIL ¬— including victims of ISIL, and others with no association at all— remain in limbo. Their humanitarian and security conditions, already precarious, have deteriorated over the past 18 months. Recent deadly clashes represent only the latest examples of a steady wave of violence in the camp since late 2020.
It is also difficult to overstate the youth of this population: 3 out of 5 residents of al-Hol are under 17; one in 5 is under 5 years of age. These innocent children have only ever known this harsh environment; many of them are being denied the most basic rights, including education.
Now, over the past 3 years, you’ve heard me repeat that the legacy of yesterday’s fight against ISIL could very easily turn into tomorrow’s war, that we should not wait for young children to become of age in a camp like al-Hol. These children find themselves at risk of forced recruitment and exposure to violent extremism. Fact is, the current situation is not sustainable. And keeping people indefinitely in the restricted and poor conditions of these camps ultimately creates greater protection and security risks than taking them back in a controlled manner. In other words: a continued status quo is - without a doubt - the riskiest option.
Iraq’s decision to resume voluntary returns in early 2021 is therefore particularly welcome. In fact, in terms of proactively taking steps to fulfil its obligations to repatriate its nationals, Iraq has set an example on the global stage. Some 450 families, or nearly 1,800 individuals, have been repatriated since May 2021. And as thousands of Iraqis are still out there, the Iraqi authorities do realize that they cannot stop there.
The United Nations is particularly appreciative of Iraq’s intention to not only continue but also to accelerate repatriations. And yes, we are ready to continue providing the required post-return humanitarian, protection and reintegration assistance. And we truly hope that Member States and donors are with us on this.
Definitely worth mentioning here is the fact that this initial success is the product of robust whole-of-government coordination and cooperation. Prime Minister al-Kadhimi and National Security Advisor al-Araji have been highly instrumental in ensuring that a wide array of ministries and institutions deliver concerted efforts towards a shared goal.
And of course, the Ministry of Migration and Displacement also deserves recognition for its role in managing the Jeddah 1 Centre: the ministry manages the centre, with UN agencies and their national and international partners supporting with healthcare, including mental health and psychosocial support, child protection, legal assistance, education, food security, and livelihood services. In other words: it is not only a whole of government, but also a whole of UN effort, including IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, and UNFPA, and our many partners
Ladies and gentlemen,
Engaging directly with returnees, our agencies have observed first-hand their relief at having left behind the hellish conditions of al-Hol in returning to Iraq. However, these returnees continue to be greatly concerned about the safety of their relatives who remain at al-Hol: continued efforts to prevent family separations are critical and appreciated, despite the enormously challenging operational conditions in northeast Syria.
Returnees in Jeddah 1 are also anxious about their own futures, eager to move on to their areas of origin or relocate elsewhere in Iraq. Nearly 130 families or 500 individuals have now departed Jeddah 1 to their areas of origin or a third location. Crucially, a Visitor’s Centre has been established to enable residents of Jeddah 1 to meet with their relatives on a regular basis. While this is most welcome, going forward, it will be important to establish benchmarks and reduce the transit time as much as possible.
Admittedly, significant challenges remain even after families depart Jeddah 1: in some cases, community members in areas of origin have refused to accept returnees; in other cases, families have been forced to relocate due to damaged or destroyed housing, lack of services, or lack of access to livelihoods.
Hence, closer cooperation between the government and the UN will prove essential to ensure that reintegration needs, including community acceptance, are assessed prior to departure from Jeddah 1.
The incremental approach - followed thus far - has allowed the Government of Iraq and the UN to identify challenges and solutions, improving the process over time. But as we move forward, and returnee profiles become more complex, new and thorny challenges will undoubtedly arise.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why it is so important to continue and expand our dialogue with the government on advancing a rights-based approach that of course provides accountability for individuals who have committed crimes but also ensures holistic reintegration support.
Building on these recent discussions and round tables, expanded UN support to the Government of Iraq will be guided by the Global Framework for the provision of “whole of UN” support to the return of third country nationals from Iraq / Syria.
For those not familiar with this Global Framework: it lays out a collaborative approach with governments and pooled funding mechanisms under which the UN can support Member States on the protection, repatriation, prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of returnees from Syria, who may have alleged or actual links or family ties to designated terrorist groups.
Using this Global Framework, the UN and the Government of Iraq, building on years of partnership in addressing the many post-ISIL challenges, can jointly identify gaps and needs, and prioritize areas of multilateral support, leveraging specific mandates within the UN family.
And importantly, having played an exemplary leadership role in many respects so far, the Government of Iraq can greatly contribute to the global understanding of contemporary prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration questions.
Ladies and gentlemen, in closing:
Transnational challenges call for transnational solutions, and the United Nations looks forward to our continued partnership with the Government of Iraq in shaping and implementing these solutions for the greater global good.
Let’s face it: al-Hol is a ticking time bomb. If it goes off, it will impact not only the region but also far beyond. Defusing it should be our collective priority.
Thank you.
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Story
01 February 2022
UN SRSG visits Ur: It is high time that Iraq taps into its rich cultural history
Many sites of great cultural significance enrich the country’s history and present. Ur in southern Iraq is one of those landmarks.
“Walking on grounds that thousands of years ago were at the centre of the world brings awe and admiration. This is a place one must see”, UN SRSG Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said on a recent mission to southern Iraq during which she visited Ur.
Iraq’s rich past is as significant as its oil wealth today. The right expertise and development efforts can attract many visitors, creating local jobs and generating income to help Iraq’s economy break away from a complete reliance on hydrocarbon revenues.
“Iraq has tremendous untapped potential as a place of interest for visitors and travelers. Local and national authorities as well as the Iraqi public are encouraged to take pride in discovering this wealth”, said Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert.
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25 January 2022
Weaving for a new Iraq: Durable solutions for women’s livelihood in Kirkuk
The Director of the Carpet Factory briefed about the latest innovative partnership with UN-Women entitled: Women’s Leadership, Empowerment, Access and Protection (LEAP II). This project is implemented by the Women Leadership Institute with generous funding provided by the Government of Japan.
The traditional art of carpet-weaving is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. Hand-woven carpets are more expensive, but of higher quality than mass-produced ones. Director Muhanad demonstrated this by showing the visiting delegation a hand-woven rug and that looked fabulous, and then revealed…that it was over 100 years old! By comparison, a machine-woven rug already showed signs of wear and tear after just 2 years of use.
UN-Women is supporting the Kirkuk Carpet Factory through its innovative LEAP II project modality. This allows 20 young apprentices to learn the ancient art of carpet weaving from master-weavers. The project involves skills-transfer, heritage preservation, vocational training and livelihoods generation. The apprentices were selected from among the rich tapestry of different ethnic communities, IDPs and people with disabilities in Kirkuk.
Ms. Hanim, one of the most talented apprentice-weavers is deaf. Yet this is not a handicap at all! Ms. Hanim weaves beautiful, complex 300-knot creations without losing her laser-sharp focus on the design. The Director noted that he received over 200 applications and competition for the 20 available slots was fierce. Interestingly, despite the high pay and good working conditions, no men applied for the apprenticeship programme.
The preservation of cultural heritage mixed with marketing and design could form the basis of an excellent livelihood project for the returnee community. Kirkuk would like to see more of these kinds of innovative vocation-apprenticeship programmes for women in Kirkuk, particularly in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field.
Director Muhaned explained that until the 1990s, Iraq produced the most beautiful, hand-woven carpets that were much prized by foreign dignitaries and businessmen. Even Turkish traders bought carpets in Iraq at the time. Unfortunately, decades of sanctions and civil war have decimated the Iraqi carpet trade. From the 7 officially licensed state companies, only the ones in Kirkuk, Baghdad and Babylon are still left. Currently, the State Company for Hand-Woven Carpets falls under the Ministry for Industry and Minerals, which is not very interested in promoting and marketing Mesopotamian carpets as an international brand. It was suggested that perhaps hand-made carpet workshops might be better regulated under the Ministry of Culture, so that the link with the UNESCO intangible heritage can be made. That way, Iraqi carpets can be marketed as cultural artifacts, both at home and abroad.
A suggestion that could help in this regard would be for the Kirkuk Carpet Factory to expand their production with an internet-based app that could allow customers (from all over the world) to upload a picture or design that they wish to turn into a carpet, hand-made and ready-to-order within 15 days. Regrettably, no tourist agencies or freight shipping companies operate in Kirkuk yet to make these kinds of entrepreneurial initiatives possible, and many beautiful hand-woven carpets go unsold.
By: Martijn Dalhuijsen, UNAMI
Photos: Harith Al-Obaidi, UNAMI
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Story
02 January 2022
Strengthening IDP-owned Businesses and Upscaling a Workforce through Entrepreneurial Training
Thanks to the generous support of the Japanese Government, UNIDO has organized Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) trainings at the Shariya and Kabarto IDP Camps, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and upscaling a workforce. The ten-day, 65-hour entrepreneurship training programme collaborates with 43 existing micro businesses located within the Camps and strives to make these businesses more sustainable and resilient, especially in light of the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The training, which includes sessions such as marketing, management and budgeting, is designed to help the IDPs leverage their past career experiences, improve upon existing management skills and acquire new knowledge in order to sustain and improve their micro businesses. Participants and collaborating entrepreneurs receive asset support in the form of equipment, tools and supplies to strengthen their enterprises towards success.
Khalaf Murad Ilyas, originally from a village near Sinjar town, Nineveh Governorate, participated in the programme as a means of expanding the barber business he has established in the Camp. Back home in his village, Khalaf was involved in his family’s small barbershop and worked alongside his father and uncle.
Having only finished primary school, Khalaf says that, prior to the programme, he had not been exposed to skills like developing a business plan, and setting goals for business expansion.
“I learned how to manage my time and how to formulate a vision for the future, “Khalaf says of his experiences in the programme.
“I plan to develop my business to have a good income to improve the situation of my family.”
Nada Yusif Kalo, another programme participant, operates a small sewing shop in Kabarto IDP Camp. A divorcee with 4 children to support, Nada has been displaced since 2014.
Nada worked as a seamstress at a clothing factory in Mosul for five years, before deciding to go into business for herself. Nada opened a small workshop at her home in Mosul after making an agreement with the factory who had employed her—taking in outsourced work from the factory, in addition to growing her own customer base.
Using credits and loans, Nada had made significant investments in her home-based business until Mosul fell into the hands of ISIS, forcing her with her family to flee and losing all her equipment to looting.
After being in the camp, she had to start work again to secure income for her children. She opened a small shop with simple equipment. The skill and experience she had could secure her some income.
“There are many skills that I lacked and did not have any idea on those I learned from the training such as, managing your business, advertising and promoting of your products, and also how to calculate profit and loss. These are crucial to the development of one’s business,” Nada says.
Nada says that her business felt the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, as fewer social gatherings equated to less need for new clothing. Despite this, she is beginning to see her business return, thanks to vaccines and bettering mitigation efforts.
Thanks to the support of UNIDO, she intends to expand her business, and serve as a training vehicle for other women in need of skills training to gain independence and escape poverty.
“If you do not think of others you cannot think of yourself,” Nada says.
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15 May 2022
Interview | Sanaa Kareem | Associate Public Information Officer, UNAMI, Baghdad
In this series, we interviewed colleagues from around the world, working for the United Nations in many different ways. We asked about their career paths, and how they got to their current positions. But we also explore what career satisfaction means to them…what keeps them inspired and motivated in their daily work.
My name is Kate Doyle and today we’ll hear from Sanaa Kareem, an Associate Public Information Officer based in Baghdad, at the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, also called UNAMI. UNAMI is a political mission that provides advice and assistance to the government and people of Iraq, on advancing political dialogue, reconciliation efforts, elections, human rights, gender equality, and much more.
Welcome, Sanaa, and thank you so much for joining me today.
Thank you Kate for having me.
So to get started, could you share a bit about yourself with our listeners?
Yes first of all, my name is Sanaa Kareem. I have the Iraqi nationality. And I live in Iraq, working for the United Nations, UNAMI since July 2010. When I joined the UN in 2010, I started as an Information Technology Assistant. And then I moved after finishing my degree in translation, I applied for another job with the UNAMI in the political office. I worked (there) also for two and a half years until I joined the public information office as an Associate Public Information Officer, in addition to my other duties as the UNAMI Youth Advisor since 2012.
So you’ve had very different roles over a relatively short amount of time in the past 10 or 12 years. Before I ask you more about your various roles I wonder if you could share a bit about your own personal background. I know you’re from Iraq, which is a beautiful country that has also seen a lot of strife in recent decades. I’m curious, what was it like growing up there?
I was born in 1981. The first thing I remember was the Iraq-Iran war. I left with my family — we left the country when I was a baby. We left to the UK for my father to finish his PhD degree in psychology so for five years. I still remember when we came back in 1990, the other war started. So, I’ve lived in Baghdad ever since. Growing up in Iraq- in Baghdad particular — has a mix of good and bad memories.
The difficult situation was like you have to grow up and get used to that you have been from one war to another. And you don’t know what you what’s going to happen at any moment. So you don’t know… we were just living our life day by day. The security situation was tense at that time and still is and other things and what I have remembered about my childhood memories….the good part is the family gatherings…playing in the streets. Which is not the case right now because girls are getting harassed more than before. This might side this might sound odd, but when the 1990 war started, we left Baghdad toward other provinces despite the sound of bombings and bad news, but as children we really enjoyed our gathering and long nights together.
And what I still remember that it was near the Hemrin mountains. And every day, we sit together from morning. And because we don’t have studies…we don’t have any other commitments…and we were children. So we were just having fun not thinking about the war that much. While our families and parents were like, living day-by-day… tense, thinking what’s going to happen, what’s next, not like us.
And how did the wars affect your parents’ ability to raise a family and keep jobs?
At that time, we were seven girls in our family and one boy only. And we were still young. And my father was the only one working. My father is a college professor with a PhD degree in psychology. And he worked at the university — like his entire life. But the money that he gained was not enough for him to feed the family for a week. So he had to leave the country for two years to work in Libya, as a college professor there. But after 2003, when he came back there was a wave of assassinations of academics. And my father was targeted three times. In two of the times, he lost his deputies. And the third time he got injured and lost one of his security guards. And I still remember one of the times they came to our house and they tried to break in and to kill my father.
Oh my goodness, that sounds absolutely terrifying. I’m so glad that he’s okay? He’s in good health today.
Yes.
Could you tell us about how your personal history might have shaped how you see the United Nations and your career there?
So, growing up in Iraq, made me see so many things that made me who I am. That was before joining the UN. But during the 11 years working for the UN, it changed me to a better person — my personality and career-wise — especially working as the Youth Advisor. I met so many people with different backgrounds, from different countries. And at the same time in my role as the youth advisor, I used to meet Iraqi young people outside. So to many other people, especially the females, I was a role model to them. I didn’t know about that, until they told me like, three or four girls told me that you are our role model, we want to be like you when we grow up. So I always imagined myself working something that suits my personality — which is the case right now, I mean, working as the Youth Advisor — getting to interact with other people, young people and working in the media section.
It sounds like your role as youth advisor and becoming a role model for young women there has been really meaningful for you. Could you tell us a little bit more about that? What is involved in your role as Youth Advisor today?
So before talking about my role, we have to understand that the Iraqi population- half of it is more than more than half of it consists of the Iraqi youth. So the post-war affected the young people in a very bad way. UNAMI has in its in mandate to support the Iraqi youth. So in this position, my role was to advocate, support and pass their voices to the senior management. And I also advise senior management and other forces within the mission on youth issues. So we worked on many projects, having good engagement in the political process, social cohesion and other things related.
I’m really happy to be part of this. I created a group working with the UNICEF… it’s called the Friends of UNICEF. It’s a volunteer youth group. So I tried to attract as much as female as possible and to be part of this volunteer group. And I worked with them like more than four years before handing them over to UNICEF. I was really, really excited to work with the females and the males as well. But, but when they see me doing things that they were shy, or they were like, they don’t have the courage to do it. I was happy to be that person that who supported them and show them that I can lead and you can follow. We can be all a team together as well. And I’m still in contact with the young people. So every year we have a gathering and each one has now their own career. I hear about several young females and what they did in life. I’m satisfied about it. But I have a lot to do more.
Today you are an Associate Public Information Officer for UNAMI, What does your average day look like?
I do a media monitoring report that covers the news in Iraq… all over Iraq…we usually do two a day, one in the evening and one day in the afternoon. A very thorough, a very detailed media monitoring report. At the same time, we respond to emails, we have an account — UNAMI has an account, to respond to emails from the Iraqi community, or anybody that sends any kind of questions or queries to the UN. And we post on social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook… so social media accounts — we take care of them, do the kind of translations when necessary, from Arabic to English, or English to Arabic. In addition to the things that I mostly like…is going out for outreach activities are being invited to activities with the young people, then writing a story, a web story. Several web stories I wrote have been posted on our social media accounts and on our UNAMI web site as well.
And which achievements in the last few years would you say that you’re most proud of?
I joined the Committee on writing the Youth Peace and Security handbook. I was nominated…contacted by FBA — the Folke Bernadotte Academy to be part of this committee. I’m really proud to be one of them. It will be delivered to the YPS — the Youth Peace and Security advisors and to support their work in their missions or agencies…with all the details that have to support them and all the details about the Youth Peace and Security agenda and also the Security Council resolution on youth.
When you faced times at work, in which you’re not feeling so motivated, or engaged, we all have those times. What do you do to help yourself when you’re going through that difficult period?
There were times I really gave up on myself, especially at the beginning. To be honest, I’m a positive person…I try to be optimistic all the time. But sometimes you just get fed up. I mean, we have these accumulated memories of war after war, security situations, tense kidnappings, assassinations… everything. So I tried as much as I can so this will not affect my daily life and my work. I tried to put each one in a different corner. So… my friends and family were there to support me. So also, knowing that this is not the end of the world and everything in life has a solution helped me motivate myself…to keep looking for more challenges in life. Going out with friends, having dinner gatherings, try to have fun as much as possible. These are the these are the things that helped to support me on a daily basis in difficult times.
And would you say as a woman, it’s even more difficult to navigate one’s career, especially the low points?
Unfortunately, yes, it’s really difficult for a woman — me as an Iraqi woman. But at the same time, me working for the UN, we always support female candidates to apply. It’s written in the job title and the job vacancy, sorry. So but at the same time, what I do is like when they whenever there’s a job vacancy open, I asked my female friends, I tell them apply, apply, you have to apply. You can see so many women in so many positions in the UN, within the mission, with the UN country team and even in the other governmental institutions. Things are changing slowly but in a positive way.
Now, I’m curious, where would you like to be career wise in the future, say in the next five years or so?
I actually I have two dreams that I want to fulfill in my life. I haven’t done it yet, but I will. One of them is working in an international position to help those in need, not just the people in my country. I want to gain knowledge from other people from other countries and pass what I learned in life, in the past 20 years living here in Iraq, and show them that you’re not alone, we are here to support you. So this is one of my dreams is to go for international posting in these countries.
I would love to work in Turkey. This is one of the places… I’ve been there several times. I’m trying to learn their language. The other country that I want to work in is South Africa. I want to see the people there. I’ve heard many stories…so about the people, about the landscape and everything.
My other dream, which is not related to the UN, but having my own specialty cafe, which is operated by females.
I like the smell of coffee. It really moves my senses. It’s makes me relax all the time. I was thinking about having this cafe a couple of years ago, once I entered a cafe in New York. And the minute you enter that café — so it was a florist and a cafe at the same time — the minute you enter, you get disconnected from the outside world, the smell of the flowers, and green, green atmosphere and the smell of the coffee. This is what I want. This is what I want to think about every single day when I walk into my cafe. I want people to feel the same when they come. And I will tell you that last year when there was a lock-down and we working we were working from home. I learned how to make coffee — to be a barista. I asked one of my friends — he’s a barista at one of the cafes in Baghdad — I told him I need you to teach me how to do that. So I used to go like once a week, every Friday. I’d go to the cafe early in the morning. And we were following the steps one by one… I really, really enjoyed it. And I want to pass these senses and feelings of relaxation to other people here in Baghdad.
It sounds like you have very specific dreams and they’re very different from each other. But they both involve a foray into a new country or a new business and being part of a community there and helping others. I love that you trained as a barista during the pandemic — that sounded like a lot of fun. My last question for you Sanaa — what makes you proud about working for the United Nations?
Its diversity. You can see people from all over the world. It’s a mini global place to work in. I mean, people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, all working together. They have one cause — one thing to do is to support the country that they are working in and to support their roles as United Nations staff. They are there knowing that they have the ability to make a change in the countries that they are operating in. It’s not much, but at least it’s step by step they’re taking. and this is what I want to do in the future. So its diversity in the main place, first position…and I would like to work with people like who are really open-minded to accept each other and this is what I found in the United Nations.
Well, so thank you so much for having this interesting conversation with me today. I really appreciate it and I learned a lot as well. And let’s keep in touch.
I hope that as well. Okay, thank you for having me. We’ll keep in touch inshallah.
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11 May 2022
Ministry of Health and WHO introduce environmental surveillance for poliovirus in Iraq
Baghdad, 9 May 2022— The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched the environmental surveillance (ES) for polioviruses to further strengthen the nationwide polio surveillance system in Iraq.
The establishment of ES for polioviruses will complement AFP surveillance for more robust polio surveillance that ensures early detection of polioviruses in humans or the environment.
“The environmental surveillance is a milestone in enhancing polio surveillance in Iraq,” said Dr Ahmed Zouiten, WHO Representative in Iraq. “Maintaining polio-free status in Iraq is only possible with effective and continued environmental surveillance,”
“This is just an initial stage of our quest to advance ES in Iraq. We’re planning to expand the number and locations of ES sites in high-risk areas, including religious mass gathering sites such as in the holy sites of Karbala and Najaf and high-population movement areas like Basra and Erbil,” he added.
Wild polioviruses have been detected in the environment in the absence of reported AFP cases. Environmental surveillance is also a potential tool for monitoring circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2). ES has been used successfully to monitor enteric virus circulation and assess the extent or duration of epidemic poliovirus circulation in a specific population.
In coordination with the MoH and National Polio Lab (NPL), WHO has supported NPL renovation and procured supplies, including equipment, kits and reagents. Prior to the launch of the ES, WHO conducted intensive training on sewage sample collection, and surveillance monitoring for efficient collection and transportation of the samples.
In addition, WHO has held ten-day on-the-job training for the NPL staff on laboratory techniques for poliovirus isolation from sewage samples and the best practices for the storage, testing, interpretation of results and data reporting. The training, conducted by one of the WHO regional polio experts, included testing the fresh samples collected from one of the two assigned sites in Baghdad (Al-Rustumia Sewage Station) as well as biosafety measures and waste management microscopic observation.
“This step came as part of the National Polio Outbreak Preparedness and Response Plan. It’s crucial to be vigilant to detect any possible emerging of vaccine-derived poliovirus circulation and/or wild poliovirus importation,” said Dr Firas Al-Khafaji, the National Professional Officer of EPI and polio surveillance for WHO Iraq.
Iraq has been free of vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPV) and wild poliovirus (WPV) since 2014, when two cases of wild poliovirus were confirmed after a 14-year absence. However, Iraq is still at high risk for the importation of WPV or the emergence or importation of VDPVs due to a high level of internal and external population movement, relatively low routine immunization coverage and limited access in some areas.
The MoH, in cooperation with WHO, initiated a comprehensive multi-year plan (cMYP) to reach every child through routine immunization and other immunization strategies, including the National Basic Health Services Package and supplementary immunization activities (SIAs).
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20 April 2022
2021 Country Annual Results Report
Twenty-Six UN agencies, funds and programmes comprise the United Nations Country Team in Iraq, chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, the designated representative of the UN Secretary General for development operations in the country.
2021 Country Annual Results Report
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09 April 2022
Roundtable on Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR) Practices
The closing roundtable on Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR) Practices, hosted by the Government of Iraq, was held today in Baghdad under the patronage of the Prime Minister and National Security Advisor of Iraq as well as the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq. The roundtable focused on the Government-led repatriation process, the UN Global Framework, and future PRR considerations.
Building on the UN Joint Approach and the effort to roll out the Global Framework on the return of third country nationals from Iraq/Syria in the Iraqi context, IOM in partnership with the National Security Advisory of Iraq and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism organized four thematic roundtables on Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR). The roundtables brought together relevant Government of Iraq institutions to discuss good practices and lessons learned in the field of PRR, and how these might be applied in the specific context of Iraqi nationals returning from al-Hol Camp in northeast Syria.
Introductory remarks by SRSG Hennis-Plasschaert can be found here:
https://iraq.un.org/en/177254-closing-ceremony-thematic-round-tables-prosecution-rehabilitation-and-reintegration-prr
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05 April 2022
UNAMI HRO and INSM facilitate global brown bag discussion on digital rights and digital security (UNAMI)
Baghdad, 5 April 2022 - UNAMI’s Human Rights Office in cooperation with the Iraqi Network for Social Media (INSM), facilitated today a global “brown bag” discussion on digital rights and digital security for UN human rights presences around the world.
From December 2021 to March 2022, UNAMI’s Human Rights Office in cooperation with INSM implemented a cutting-edge project to enhance the online protection of Iraqi human rights defenders, bloggers, journalists and activists through a series of trainings on digital rights and online security, attended by approximately 200 participants. This was accompanied by the provision of a digital security guide, a digital help desk, and tailor-made digital security assessments for Iraqi NGOs. Moreover, the project provided a platform for dialogue between Iraqi authorities, private companies, and civil society representatives, outlining steps to strengthen rights in the online space.
The implementation of this project was met with enormous interest from civil society, given the increasing role cyberspace plays in the monitoring, reporting and advocacy of human rights, while recognizing the critical need to mitigate online risks, improve data protection and online communication, and adopt digital security policies. UNAMI HRO and INSM presented lessons learnt and outlined steps on how to expand activities on digital rights in Iraq. 21 participants from various UN field missions and OHCHR country offices joined the meeting, reflecting on their own experiences and highlighting the criticality of the fast-evolving field of digital security for the protection and promotion of human rights.
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Press Release
17 May 2022
SYRIAN REFUGEES IN IRAQ WILL LOSE ACCESS TO BASIC FOODS WITHOUT URGENT FUNDS
BAGHDAD - Syrian families living in camps in Iraq face alarming levels of food insecurity, according to a new figure from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
With very little funding in place to assist people with their day-to-day lives, many appear on course for a deterioration of their already testing circumstances – drowning in more and more debts that they have no means of repaying
Iraq hosts nearly 260,000 Syrian refugees, the vast majority of whom reside in the Kurdistan Region. This includes 95,745 people who live in camps – 72,000 of whom receive life-saving food and cash assistance from WFP, while UNHCR provides a range of services, including, among others, legal support, registration services, cash assistance, and education support.
86 percent of in-camp refugees remain food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity following a string of socio-economic shocks.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment in 2020 and the consequent devaluation of the Iraqi dinar are still being felt while price rises caused by the war in Ukraine continue to reduce people’s access to basic food.
Families' dependence on irregular and unpredictable cash jobs in the informal economy is a key aggravator of food insecurity. When opportunities to earn dry up, they are pushed into negative coping strategies, such as buying food on credit, reducing expenditure on basic needs, selling assets, child labour and having children drop out of school.
Urgent additional funding is needed to continue assisting 72,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees in camps in Iraq. WFP requires US$ 10.1 million to continue uninterrupted monthly food and cash assistance. Receiving this is vital as 86 percent of people in camps are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity – without the requisite funds tens of thousands of people will suffer ever more severe levels of food insecurity.
In a joint statement, Ally Raza Qureshi, WFP Representative for Iraq and Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Representative for Iraq said:
“These are serious indicators that highlight the urgent need for supporting vulnerable Syrian refugees who are adversely affected by the current economic difficulties in Iraq. WFP and UNHCR have supported Syrian refugees since the onset of the crisis and continue to do so, yet the rising food prices and reduced purchasing power of people’s income places
them at greater risk of being food insecure.
“WFP and UNHCR are grateful to all donors for their continued and steadfast support to the most vulnerable families in Iraq and would request for their assistance to help ensure that in these trying times, no one shall go hungry.”
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Press Release
16 May 2022
UNDP supports Deputy Governors on local implementation of the National Strategy to Prevent Violent Extremism in Iraq
The workshop, held from 14-16 May in Sulymaniyah, targeted Deputy Governors, and provided an update on progress and challenges faced by governorate committees to develop and implement their plans for Preventing Violent Extremism, reviewed the outcomes of the capacity building programmes of the sub-committee members, and discussed the role of civil society and the importance of their engagement in the local plans. The workshop included representation from the National Committee, and the governorates of Anbar, Babylon, Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Diwaniyah, Karbala, Kirkuk, Najaf, Maysan, Muthanna, Ninewa, Salah al-Din, and Wasit. On the side of the workshop, a meeting was held with representatives from Sulaymaniyah Governorate including local authorities, civil society organizations, and academics to explore opportunities to strengthen efforts for the prevention of violent extremism in the governorate.
UNDP’s approach to supporting the National Strategy on the Prevention of Violent Extremism falls under Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and is part of a comprehensive focus on promoting social cohesion and combating violence, extremism, and hate speech, including engagement with youth, media, citizen journalists, religious leaders, local community leaders and Community-Based Organizations.
UNDP Iraq Resident Representative Zena Ali-Ahmad states, “UNDP is working closely with the Government of Iraq to ensure a comprehensive national and subnational approach toward the Prevention of Violent Extremism in Iraq. Our aim is to support a coordinated and sustainable implementation of the National Strategy on the Prevention of Violent Extremism, to positively influence social cohesion in Iraq for the generations of tomorrow.”
According to Mr. Ali Abdullah Albedeiri, Chairman of the National Committee on the implementation of the National Strategy to Prevent Violent Extremism, “This meeting was very important, as the deputy governors are responsible for the committees in their governorates, and they provide an overview of the situation and progress in their respective areas. We have planned programmes for the next six months and we will follow up closely on the national plan’s implementation.”
Support to Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) in Iraq is part of UNDP Iraq’s Social Cohesion Programme to promote stronger, peaceful, and more cohesive communities in all areas of Iraq.
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Press Release
16 May 2022
Japan and UNOPS Enhanced Access to Primary Health Services in Anbar Governorate
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Dr. Wisam Salah, Deputy Director of General Office in the Directorate of Health in Anbar, said: “The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq came at a time when the Government of Iraq was working to improve the living conditions of its citizens, who in previous years suffered from lack of basic services and infrastructure, especially health services, due to instability, conflict and many challenges. Not only this project improves the health services for the people in Al Ramadi, but also contributes to reducing the pressure on the hospitals designated for treatment of COVID-19 and severe cases.”
H.E. Mr. SUZUKI Kotaro, Ambassador of Japan to Iraq, congratulated on the completion of Al Adel Primary Health Center and said: “The mission and activities of medical professionals dedicated to protecting people’s health and saving lives in the most difficult situation should be lauded”. He went on to say: “I would like to express my gratitude and respect to the people of UNOPS, who play indispensable roles in these operations”.
Mr. Muhammad Usman Akram, the Director of UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Amman, said, “Thanks to the generous funding from the Government of Japan, UNOPS worked hand in hand with the Directorate of Health in Anbar to serve approximately 123,000 beneficiaries and make a difference in the health sector for the people of Iraq. UNOPS remains committed to supporting our Iraqi partners and the people of Iraq in their efforts to address the challenges in the health sector, and enhance their resilience to counter the future challenges.”
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the health conditions in Iraq and increased the need to enhance the health centers’ infrastructure and to improve their capacities in the provision of inclusive healthcare to the Iraqi people. The project supported the health sector through enhancing access for all to medical services in support of the COVID-19 response in the targeted areas of Anbar Governorate. Through gender-sensitive rehabilitation of primary health centers, and the provision of medical equipment, supplies and furniture, the project contributed to improving the overall living conditions of the beneficiaries including vulnerable and marginalised populations, returnees, and internally displaced persons.
The project supported Sustainable Development Goal 3 - “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.
About UNOPS:
UNOPS helps the UN and its partners provide peace and security, humanitarian and development solutions. The organization’s mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. UNOPS services cover infrastructure, project management, procurement, financial management and human resources. Partners call on UNOPS to supplement their own capacities, improve speed, reduce risks, boost cost-effectiveness and increase quality. UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman covers projects in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen and implements work in partnership with bilateral donors, national governments and other UN agencies.
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Press Release
16 May 2022
UNFPA commemorates the International Day of Families in Basra
The theme for 2022 International Day of Families is “Families and Urbanization”, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of urbanization on the life and well-being of families. On this day UNFPA jointly with the Basra Municipality, Directorate of Youth and Sports and the Business Women Association of Southern Iraq, launched a youth volunteerism campaign focused on protecting the environment in Basrah city in response to climate change. Families and young people were mobilized to clean their neighbourhood, Al-Muhandisin, and increase awareness about the importance of keeping the community environmentally healthy.
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Press Release
16 May 2022
Great Event of FAO and Partners on Hemorrhagic Fever
Baghdad, 10th May 2022
To keep pace with the events of the spread of hemorrhagic fever in Iraq, in coordination with the College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Baghdad, the Ministry of Health and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, contributed to the organization of the workshop entitled Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever from one health perspective.
The workshop was held under the patronage of the President of the University of Baghdad, Prof. Dr. Munir Hamid Al-Saadi, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Prof. Hamid Ali Kazem, and in the presence of the Technical Deputy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Mithaq Abdul-Hussein, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Iraq Dr. Salah Al-Hajj Hassan, Head of the Veterinarians Syndicate Dr. Samira Latif, and Dr. Karim bin Jabara represented the FAO through the Zoom platform and Dr. Amer Musa Yassin in his presence.
The workshop aimed at building and implementing effective collaborative One Health strategies, simultaneously addressing the health of people, animals and the environment. Ensuring a One Health approach is essential for progress to anticipate, prevent, detect and control diseases that spread between animals and humans, ensure food safety, prevent environment-related human and animal health threats, as well as combatting many other challenges.
In line with this approach, FAO international expert, Dr. Karim Ben Jebara, delivered a lecture on the measures to control and prevent the occurrence of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, including its occurrences and the Geographical Distribution in Animals and Humans in Iraq; the virus Transmission to Humans; the virus transmission in Ticks and Animals, the Pathogenicity of the disease in Humans and Animals and the Disease Prevention and Control.
To conclude, Dr. Amir Moosa Yassin, FAO expert presented the following recommendations of the workshop:
Establishment of a high scientific board affiliated to the council of Ministers acting on all scientific activities in the country.
Activation of stopped abattoirs and establishing new ones where needed. And preventing animal slaughtering outside the abattoirs.
Specifying a special budget to provide insecticides for regular spraying and dipping campaigns to control ticks.
Preventing animal movement from and to the infected areas.
Public awareness campaigns especially for livestock breeders and butchers.
Addressing a plan to control vectors and rodents.
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