The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in Iraq are devastating. With a population of over thirty-nine million, Iraq has totaled at least 1.5 million infections and over eighteen thousand deaths since the start of the pandemic. Like much of the Middle East, the vaccination effort in Iraq is progressing at an alarmingly slow rate—only 0.99 percent of Iraq’s population is fully v
Read MoreWashington DC, August 05, 2021—The World Bank Group has renewed its commitment to the continued support of Iraq, approving a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to form the basis of its 2022–2026 partnership with the country. The framework lays out the main development goals the World Bank Group aims to support in Iraq and proposes a series of strategic interventions to hel
Read MoreThe U.S. “long war” in Afghanistan may be ending, although it is far from clear what will happen when U.S. forces fully withdraw, and there is no way to predict what kind of new government will emerge and what level of U.S. aid and assistance – if any – will continue. The story in Iraq, however, is very different. The “long war” in Iraq against ISIS and extremist movements has
Read MoreThe unexpected directive could spur progress toward ending the wasteful and environmentally damaging practice of flaring, but it also raises concerns for oil companies. Kurdistan gives oil companies 18-month deadline to end gas flaring A flare burns at the Taq Taq oil field in 2016. (STAFF/Iraq Oil Report) By LIZZIE PORTER AND RAWAZ TAHIR of Iraq Oil Report Publishe
Read MoreINTRODUCTION This report summarizes key findings and recommendations from a remote technical assistance (TA) assignment performed by a short-term expert (STX), Mr. Djamel Bouhabel, from January 17 to February 4, 2021, to the General Customs Authority of Iraq (GCA). The main objective of the TA was to advise GCA on the development and effective application of customs assess
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