In a report on their March activities in Iraq published on May 7, the UN World Food Program (WFP) highlighted their provision of general food assistance, economic empowerment, livelihood support, and climate initiatives to both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with 51,400 people assisted and $700,000 in cash-based transfers made in March 2024.

This includes in-kind food distributions of 14,507 food baskets to 36,751 Syrian refugees, totalling 7,115 households in 10 camps across the Kurdistan Region.

Moreover, in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate, the WFP established five hectares of forest and supported 40 beekeepers through the provision of technical skills training and beekeeping kits.

In the Erbil Governorate, the WFP provided a 60-day tree nursery business and technical job training program for 60 young people, equipping them with greenhouses and nursery tools to support greening campaigns across the Kurdistan Region.

Moreover, following a three-week beekeeping training in February for 105 participants in rural communities, the WFP procured tool kits in March to be distributed to participants for honey production and to enhance pollination in forests.

Additionally, 30 women in Erbil Governorate underwent a one-week business mentorship program under livelihood initiatives and received an average of $2,000 each in seed capital for their entrepreneurial ventures.

WFP & @Kurdistan launched #LandUseLandCover Project in Erbil, a vital step against #climatechange. Thanks to Kurdistan Regional Statistical Office and Central Statistics Organization of #Iraq, the joint project supports evidence-based land recovery policies. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/6yfXJhuvmA

— برنامج الأغذية العالمي في العراق (@WFP_Iraq) November 13, 2023

The WFP has also supported Iraq’s Authority of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems and the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office to establish a food security monitoring system.

This system was used to conduct a food security assessment in areas of return for the integration of internally displaced persons who were former camp residents.

The WFP also said it is transitioning its role from emergency response to resilience building and enabling long-term sustainable development. “This shift is paramount given Iraq’s susceptibility to climate change, especially evident in the southern region of the country,” the WFP concluded.