WFP Iraq Country Brief, June 2023

In Numbers

39,796 people assisted in June 2023

USD 729,087 cash-based transfers made

USD 48.2 million six months (July-December 2023) net funding requirements

Operational Updates

General Food Assistance

• In June 2023, WFP provided cash assistance to over 2,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Jada'a 1 camp and over 37,000 Syrian refugees in ten other camps through its crisis response programme. The cash assistance for IDPs concluded in May and will continue for refugees until August.

However, WFP continues its advocacy for IDPs to be included in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) Social Safety Net (SSN) programme.

• The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre of Saudi Arabia provided a generous contribution of 240 mt of dates for the benefit of vulnerable populations in Iraq, including Syrian refugees. The donation was handed over in a ceremony attended by the WFP Representative and Country Director,

Mr. Ally Reza Qureshi, together with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador in Iraq, H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Shimari, where they emphasized their commitment to enhancing their partnership and discussed potential opportunities for collaboration around food security and climate change.

Livelihoods Support and Climate Change

• As part of the planning phase for the Economic Empowerment activities, discussions are being held with relevant internal and external stakeholders to agree on the way forward.

Additionally, WFP participated in the re-activation meeting of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) working group and provided input in contribution to the development of the national TVET policy. The Jousour programme celebrated the graduation of 125 participants in a ceremony held at the University of Sulaymaniyah. The event featured three alumni who shared their personal learning journeys and highlighted their achievements in securing income after their participation in Jousour. The alumni speakers also expressed their appreciation for Jousour's integrated components, especially the entrepreneurship aspect, which contributed to the growth of their businesses.

The University of Sulaymaniyah successfully arranged 40 internship positions for Jousour participants in various local private companies and NGOs. The graduation ceremony was also attended by representatives from these organizations to celebrate the graduates' accomplishments.

• As part of WFP’s climate change portfolio activities, WFP in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture oversaw the installation of six Agrometeorological automatic weather stations in Baghdad and Basra, along with the necessary practical training