Caring for environment critical to helping 6 million Iraqis vulnerable to food insecurity – UN

Baghdad, 5 June 2013 – On World Environment Day, the United Nations is highlighting the importance of sustainable environmental management to ensure food security. Nearly 6 million Iraqis face food deprivation and vulnerability.



“The global theme for this year’s World Environment Day focuses on minimizing food waste,” said Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Iraq and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Jacqueline Badcock.

“Before we can talk about food waste in Iraq, we need to talk about food production and supply,” Ms. Badcock stressed. “Food security in Iraq is fragile. At least 1.9 million Iraqis or 5.7 per cent of the population are food deprived and do not have enough to eat each day. A further 4 million Iraqis are vulnerable to food insecurity, with one in four children experiencing stunted physical and intellectual growth due to chronic undernutrition.”

While conflict has had a major impact on Iraqi food production in recent years, climate change and environmental damage are also putting traditional agriculture at risk.

“Water levels in rivers and dams are dropping,” Ms. Badcock said. “Soil salinization is taking hold across large swathes of land, especially in the South. Climate variability brings flash flooding and crop damage, while poor land management has caused deforestation, desertification, and an increase in sand and dust storms that cause billions of dollars of damage each year,” she continued.

As a result, Iraq relies increasingly on imports to meet domestic food needs. The total value of agricultural imports in 1985 was USD 1.7 billion. In 2008, this grew to almost USD 5 billion, spent on basic foods such as wheat, cattle and rice. Although there are signs of growth in the agricultural sector, with production of dates, fruits and vegetables on the increase again, 60-70% of vegetables consumed by Iraqis still come from neighbouring countries.

“Iraq must commit to caring for its land and waterways,” said Ms. Badcock. “In 2020, the Iraqi population will exceed 42 million. It is essential that the Government continues to put in place the policies and good environmental practices that will reestablish Iraqi agriculture and ensure food supply for the most vulnerable.”

The United Nations manages a range of projects to support the immediate needs of Iraqis vulnerable to food security, as well as programmes that support sustainable environmental management and build the capacities of Government institutions and farmers. For more information, please refer to this fact sheet

http://unami.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2790&ctl=Details&mid=5079&ItemID=1528203&language=en-US

UNAMI Press Release: "My Voice Counts": UNAMI Honours Five Iraqi Defenders of Human Rights

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Press Release


"My Voice Counts": UNAMI (UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION FOR IRAQ)

Honours Five Iraqi Defenders of Human Rights

Baghdad, 13 December 2012 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Martin Kobler, today honoured five Iraqi human rights activists for their achievements during a special ceremony to celebrate International Human Rights Day in Baghdad.

“The tireless efforts of those who campaign for justice, protect and support victims of violence, and work to ensure the political participation of people from all backgrounds, often go unrecognized,” Mr. Kobler said during his speech to guests from the Government of Iraq, the diplomatic community, civil society, and the UN family. “I wish to draw particular attention to those ordinary Iraqis who have made their voices count by working to improve the lives of their fellow citizens,” he said.

The five honorees are from all corners of Iraq and were chosen for their work promoting respect for human rights within the community. They include Mr. Husam Abdullah Ali, a lawyer from Mosul, Ms. Shatha Naji Hussein, who works for women’s empowerment in Baghdad, Mr. Hasan Turan Bahaa Aldin, the current Kirkuk Provincial Council Chairman, Mr. Karazan Abedulfadhel Tawfiq, a volunteer lawyer from Kurdistan, and Mr. Falah Al Alosi of the Al Rafidain Peace Organization, also in Baghdad.

“Our honorees today are all proof that the power of one voice can make a difference to a large number of people,” Mr. Kobler said. “I congratulate them on their important work,” he concluded.

The theme of International Human Rights Day this year is “My Voice Counts”. SRSG Kobler invited all Iraqis to step forward and speak up for human rights, stressing the importance of political inclusion, particularly for marginalized groups and those whose voices often go unheard: women, children people with disabilities and members of ethnic and religious groups. He also called for a refocus on economic and social rights, including access to basic services for all Iraqis, without discrimination.

UNAMI has been celebrating human rights throughout the week at events in its offices in Basra, Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan region.

Roundtable UNAMI and the Iraqi Council of Representatives

The participants of the ‘Roundtable on the Constitutional and Legislative Dimensions of the Federation Council’ organized by UNAMI and the Iraqi Council of Representatives in Beirut on 8-10 December 2012.

From left to right: the Governor of Baghdad, Mr. Salah Abdul-Razzaq; expert Mr. George Anderson (UN/Department of Political Affairs); the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Gyorgy Busztin; the First Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Dr. Qusay al-Suhail; the head of the State of Law coalition, Sheikh Khalid al-Attiyah; the Chairman of the Provincial Council of Ninewa, Mr. Jabur Abd-Rabuh; MP Ms. Ala Talabani (PUK). — in Beirut, Beyrouth.

https://www.facebook.com/UnitedNationsIraq

UNAMI newsletter OCTOBER 2012

http://unami.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?link=Documents%2FNewsletter%2FNewsletter_October2012_en.pdf&tabid=2790&mid=5913&language=en-US

UN brings religious, ethnic communities to the discussion table in northern Iraq

29 May 2010 – Security concerns and human rights topped a United Nations-backed discussion among the religious and ethnic communities of the northern Iraqi governorate of Ninewa.

Participants at the meeting which took place on 27 May included representatives of the Christian, Shabak, Turkoman and Yazidi communities, as well of the Ninewa administration, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi Government.

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) chaired the talks – the first-ever meeting of the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Communities in Ninewa – in the city of Tilkaef.

Also among the topics discussed during the gathering where the representation of Ninewa's various communities in Iraq's security forces.

The UNAMI meeting marked an important first step for further dialogue and action, said Jerzy Skuratowicz, the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative. “While each of the components has its unique and distinct ethnic, cultural and religious heritage that must be preserved, it is also apparent that they all share many common concerns, which need to be addressed.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34857&Cr=iraq&Cr1=

Ban Ki-moon chooses Dutch politician Ad Melkert to head UNAMI

New head of United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)

Ban Ki-moon has chosen the Dutch politician Ad Melkert to be his top envoy in Iraq, ... Melkert will head the UN mission in Iraq, known as UNAMI.