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Pakistan’s assistance to Iraq to fight COVID-19

By John Lee.

On the directive of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, Pakistan is sending three plane-loads of COVID-related relief goods to Iraq.

The first plane-load was dispatched on Saturday in presence of the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador of Iraq to Pakistan.

The next two consignments will be sent in the coming week.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said:

“Pakistan and Iraq have long-standing fraternal ties rooted firmly in shared faith and values. The two countries have multifaceted relationship, marked by regular high-level exchanges and growing cooperation in diverse fields.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge, which can only be contained with international solidarity and cooperation. The government and people of Pakistan stand by their Iraqi brethren in this difficult time.”

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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Italy, UNOPS to provide Services for Returnees in Sinjar

AICS and UNOPS Partner to Rehabilitate the Basic Services for Returnees in Sinjar, Iraq

The Italian Cooperation and UNOPS launched a new project to support the Government of Iraq in rehabilitating basic services to returnees in Sinjar.

The project will support the Government of Iraq in rehabilitating the basic water services for returnees in Sinjar district in Iraq, through a partnership with the Government of Italy.

The project will contribute to achieving the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Iraq: Post-conflict transition towards durable solutions by supporting access to basic services to increase the resilience of returnees in target locations.

Since 2018, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) office in Amman has also been responsible for implementing international cooperation initiatives in Iraq. “Our support has focused on the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) and neighbouring areas such as the Ninewa plains, which experienced high rates of return after the massive displacement of the resident population,” said the Head of AICS Amman office Mr. Michele Morana.

“This project comes in line with the Italian Cooperation’s aid priorities targeting the health and protection sectors in the Country, as it addresses immediate recovery and aims to improve accessibility, inclusiveness and quality of basic services for minorities and local communities”.

“The Government of Italy fully supports the urgent need to rebuild Sinjar, through the restoration of basic services as key to incentivizing the return of still displaced people. Every effort should also be taken to reintegrate returnees within their communities and provide them with tangible support to rebuild their lives” said the Ambassador of Italy to Iraq Bruno Antonio Pasquino.

“Thanks to the support from the Italian Cooperation, UNOPS is able to lend a hand to the people returning to Sinjar District in Iraq. Access to water supplies is one of the many challenges faced by returnees and their families. The rehabilitation of basic services in the district will contribute to improving Sinjar water infrastructure and eventually improving people’s lives.” said Mr. Muhammad Usman Akram, the Director of UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman.

Through this project, the targeted populations will benefit from improved and rehabilitated basic water facilities. UNOPS will focus on the improvement of water services in Sinjar district. The main focus would be to rehabilitate damaged water facilities, such as potable and/or storm water pumps, generators, parts of water treatment units.

The intervention will also include innovative technologies, such as renewable and hybrid systems, where applicable, in target locations. It is envisaged that this project will support the Government in its efforts towards the realization of Agenda 2030 and more specifically contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); specifically, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

Sinjar is one of the four districts in Ninewa that presents a higher severity of needs, whereby the well-being, living standards, and ultimately resilience and recovery capacity of the local communities, as well as their social cohesion and safety, are all severely impacted as a result of unmet needs.

(Source: UN)

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$600m needed for 2021 Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan

On Wednesday, the Iraqi Minister of Planning H.E. Dr. Khalid Batal Najim Abdullah, and the Humanitarian Coordinator Ms. Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, released the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) to assist 1.5 million vulnerable people in Iraq.

H.E. Dr. Abdullah said:

“The HRP will complement the Government of Iraq’s own initiatives to help the people of Iraq recover from the setbacks they have experienced in recent years.

“The Government of Iraq and the United Nations will continue to work in partnership to help all Iraqis achieve and maintain a dignified standard of living.“

Ms. Vojáčková-Sollorano commented:

“The people of Iraq should be commended for their resilience in the face of relentless hardships. COVID-19 added extra challenges for all of us in 2020.

“We are happy through the 2021 HRP to renew our commitment to assisting the most vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees in Iraq.“

Iraq continues to face a complex humanitarian situation, despite the ongoing joint efforts of humanitarian partners, the Government of Iraq, and local authorities and communities to improve circumstances.

The post-conflict humanitarian situation in Iraq remains fragile, with approximately 1.3 million IDPs, and deepening socio-economic vulnerabilities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview found that 4.1 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The 2021 HRP focuses on 1.5 million of the most vulnerable IDPs living in camps and in out-of-camp locations, as well as returnees, who continue to face significant humanitarian and protection needs.

This unified appeal represents the activities of 166 operational partners – national NGOs, international NGOs and UN agencies – involved in the humanitarian response in Iraq, in coordination with the efforts of the Government of Iraq. It seeks $607.2 million to carry out humanitarian programming across nine sectors.

In 2020, the humanitarian community was able to assist approximately 1.4 million people thanks to the efforts of partners and the generosity of donors.

(Source: UN)

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Iraq Approves Russian COVID Vaccine

By John Lee.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has announced the approval of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus by Iraq’s Ministry of Health.

Iraq has become the 45th country in the world to register Sputnik V.

The vaccine was registered under the emergency use authorization procedure.

(Source: RDIF)

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COVID-19 and Environmental Sustainability in Iraq

Impact of COVID-19 on Environmental Sustainability in Iraq

Impact of COVID-19 on Environmental Sustainability in Iraq is the fifth in a series released by UNDP on the impact of COVID-19 in Iraq.

It emphasizes how the pandemic has exacerbated Iraq’s environmental fragility, which was already affected by legacies of conflict, lack of significant public sector and governance reforms, loss of development gains and illicit activity such as illegal hunting, fishing and logging, amongst other factors.

It outlines how the virus has led to some negative environmental impacts, such as increased quantities of medical waste, but also positive impacts, such as temporary improvements in air quality and ecosystems. It also proposes how key drivers of fragility can be addressed over time.

Click here to read the full report.

(Source: UN)

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Iraq to buy Chinese COVID Vaccine

By John Lee.

The Iraqi Cabinet held its weekly meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi.

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister praised the efforts of state institutions and agencies to ensure the implementation of curfew regulations, and thanked all citizens for adhering to preventative health measures.

Following discussions, the Cabinet agreed to authorise the Ministry of Health to purchase the coronavirus vaccine from the Chinese company Sinopharm.

(Source: Govt of Iraq)

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Coronavirus: Iran to Shut Border with Iraq

Iran’s minister of interior unveiled plans to shut the border with Iraq in the southwestern province of Khuzestan in order to contain a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters has made new decisions to control the coronavirus in Khuzestan province, where the number of COVID-19 cases has risen in recent days.

He said the border crossings with Iraq are going to be closed and travels between cities in the Khuzestan province will be prohibited.

He also expressed hope that cooperation from people would help control the situation in Khuzestan ahead of the new Iranian year’s holidays.

Officials have warned that the coronavirus has begun to spread rapidly in Khuzestan, stressing the need for new travel bans and strict control at the border.

Several cities in the southwestern Iranian province have been categorized as red zones with high risk of infection.

(Source: Tasnim, under Creative Commons licence)

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Iraq allocates additional resources for Labs, Medicines

By John Lee.

The Cabinet held its weekly meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi.

It received a briefing from the Minister of Health on the latest Covid-19 related developments and on the ongoing national efforts to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

Following discussions, the Cabinet agreed to:

  • Authorise the Ministry of Health to sign special agreements with the manufacturers of the Coronavirus vaccines
  • Allocate 100 million US dollars to fund the purchase of laboratories, medicines (other than vaccines) and supplies related to Covid-19

(Source: Govt of Iraq)

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