Assessment of COVID-19 Impact on Poverty and Vulnerability in Iraq

This note is a collaborative effort between the World Bank and the UNICEF. The World Bank team included Lokendra Phadera (Economist), Matthew Wai-Poi (Senior Economist), and Rene Leon Solano (Senior Social Protection Specialist). The UNICEF team was led by Bilal Ishaq Mahmmud Al-Kiswani (Chief of Social Policy) and benefited from the technical support of Corinne Mitchel (Director of Programmes and Operations,
OPHI), with additional inputs from Monica Pinilla-Roncancio (Director of Metrics and Policy, OPHI), Christian Oldiges (Director of Policy Outreach, OPHI), and Sabina Alkire (Director, OPHI). We are grateful to Dr. Mehdi Al-Alak (Consultant, UNFPA), Ms. Najlaa Ali Murad (Director, Iraq Social Fund  for Development), Mr. Qusay Raof (Director general of Technical Affairs, CSO), and Mr. Serwan Mohamed (Director, KRSO) for their guidance, support and contribution. A special thanks to Dr. Maher Hammad Johan (Deputy Minister of Planning for Technical Affairs) and Dr.
Diaa Awad Kazem (Head of the Central Statistical Organization) who have supported and nurtured the
preparation of the report. We are also thankful to Ramzi Afif Neman (Head of Office, World Bank Iraq), Hamida Lasseko (Country Office Representative, UNICEF Iraq), Paula Bulancea (Deputy Representative, UNICEF Iraq), Dalal Moosa (Economist, World Bank), Haleem Hassan Kashkol Al-Kazali (Social Protection Economist, World Bank), Mustafa Kadhim Mohammed (Social Protection Specialist, World Bank), and Karwan Dawood (Social Policy
Officer, UNICEF Iraq) for their helpful comments and support at various stages.

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