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“Children make up the majority of up to 4.5 million (11.7%) Iraqis at risk of falling into poverty and deprivation due to the impact of covid-19,” says UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) in a report published 8 July 2020

 

The report states that there is a global consensus on the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is spreading and worsening. And that Iraq is no exception to this, with job losses and high prices causing an increase in poverty.

 

It warns that Iraqi children and adolescents, who “make-up more than half of the population, are prone to bear the highest cost of rising poverty, service disruptions, and growing family stresses as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.”

 

 an additional 4.5 million (11.7%) of Iraqis risk falling below the poverty line

The report highlights that according to an assessment made by Iraqi government with the help of UNICEF and other international NGOs, which warns that “an additional 4.5 million (11.7%) of Iraqis risk falling below the poverty line,” resulting in an increase of the “national poverty rate to 31.7% from 20% in 2018 and the total number of poor to 11.4 million.”

before the pandemic broke, one out of five children and adolescents were poor. This is now set to double to over 2 out of every 5, or 37.9% of all children

It adds that “children and adolescents face the highest increase in poverty,” and that “before the pandemic broke, one out of five children and adolescents were poor. This is now set to double to over 2 out of every 5, or 37.9% of all children.”

 

The report includes a statement from Iraq’s Minister of Planning, Dr. Khaled Battal al-Najem: “The results capture a worrying situation especially for the most vulnerable segments of the population. This is a situation which requires a more effective response and one that focuses on social protection and cash transfers to the poorest while at the same time continuing and increasing our investments into services such as health and education, and to support poor families, especially the younger members, to find employment.”

 

“The assessment found that 42% of the population are vulnerable,” the report warns, explaining that “poverty is a multifaceted phenomenon that can’t be captured solely in monetary terms.”

 

We at UNICEF are calling for our partners in government to step-up policies aimed at protecting children from poverty

Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF’s Representative to Iraq, urges a swift response to the crisis: “We at UNICEF are calling for our partners in government to step-up policies aimed at protecting children from poverty and promoting children’s access to quality basic services with emphasis on addressing the learning crisis and violence against children on the short, medium and long term.”