World Bank supports $18m Iraq Pollution Initiative
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a US$18.5 million project to support Iraq's efforts to minimize environment and health risks due to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and other chemical pollution hotspots and improve livelihoods of local communities.
The Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Chemical Hotspots Project is co-financed by a US$13.49 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and a US$5 million grant from the Iraq Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Fund (I3RF) .
The Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Chemical Hotspots Project aims to destroy, dispose of or contain about 4,000 tons of POPs/ hazardous chemicals. It will also help develop policies and regulations for the management of hazardous chemicals and establish a management information system to monitor chemical substances in Iraq. Iraq's oil and industrial assets have been severely contaminated as a result of past successive conflicts.
Of all chemicals, POPs are among the most dangerous. Exposure to POPs and other chemicals poses several health risks. Chemical pollution also results in a severe economic cost as a result of the repercussions on health, environment, agriculture, and livelihood impacts. In addition to reducing health risks affecting about seven million people, project activities are expected to improve livelihood opportunities and contribute to the long-term environmental sustainability of Iraq.
"Thanks to the two grants from GEF and I3RF, this project will help Iraq address the significant health and environmental impacts caused by hazardous chemicals" said Dr. Hallo Alaskari, Minister of Environment in Iraq. "The project builds on the road map developed with technical assistance from the World Bank to address chemical pollution in the country. It will also help Iraq meet its obligations under Stockholm Convention and Basel Convention on safe management of hazardous chemicals".
The Government of Iraq has initiated regulatory and institutional actions to address the issues of chemical pollution and contaminated sites, including the passage of major environmental legislations and the setting up of monitoring and assessment departments at the Ministry of Environment.
The Project will help provide policy, regulatory and institutional strengthening for POPs management and build the capacity at the level of the Ministry of Environment and other key stakeholders through training and the provision of laboratory and field equipment.
"Pollution and land contamination have a long-lasting impact on the safety, health, and livelihoods of communities and disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, who are more reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods", said Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Middle East Country Director. "The World Bank is committed to supporting Iraq's development agenda and helping it address its environmental challenges".
(Source: World Bank)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
28-05-2025
- Shafaq News
Heartbreaking images: Relief turns to chaos at Gaza site amid aid shortage
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, a crowd surge at a newly opened US-backed aid center in southern Gaza disrupted food distribution, according to Arab media outlets, raising concerns over humanitarian coordination and delivery. Thousands of Palestinians pushed through the gates of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site near Rafah, seeking access to limited supplies. GHF said it had distributed 8,000 food boxes so far, each designed to sustain 5.5 people for 3.5 days. Israeli forces reportedly fired warning shots outside the compound to control the crowd, claiming that the situation was "contained" and operations would resume as scheduled. The incident sparked criticism from other aid groups, including Jose Andrew, founder of the Emirati-backed World Central Kitchen (WCK), who accused GHF of mismanagement. 'The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has left Palestinians without food. The people that created it are selfish.' The United Nations also condemned the scenes. 'These images are heartbreaking,' said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres. Israel rejected UN criticism, blaming delays on logistical failures. 'The UN has avoided fulfilling its role and continues spreading false information,' asserted Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, head of COGAT, the Israeli agency managing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories. GHF stated that operations at the Rafah distribution center have since returned to normal. The holdup comes as Gaza's health system nears collapse. The Strip's Health Ministry warned that oxygen supplies have become critically strained, with 25 out of 34 oxygen stations destroyed during Israeli incursions into hospitals. Only nine stations remain partially operational, insufficient to meet patient needs in intensive care, neonatal units, operating rooms, and emergency wards. The Israeli war has killed 54,084 Palestinians, including 3,924 following the ceasefire breakdown in March, and injured 123,308 others since October 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Iraqi News
14-05-2025
- Iraqi News
Strikes kill 29 in Gaza as hostage release talks ongoing
Gaza City – Gaza rescuers said at least 29 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday as negotiations took place in Qatar for the release of hostages still held in the war-battered territory. 'At least 25 martyrs were killed and dozens wounded' in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, while another four people were killed in a strike on the southern city of Khan Yunis, civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Mohammad Awad, an emergency doctor in north Gaza's Indonesian Hospital, told AFP that shortages meant his department could not properly handle the flow of wounded from the Jabalia strike. 'The hospital could not accommodate the wounded. There are not enough beds, no medicine, and no means for surgical or medical treatment, which leaves doctors unable to save many of the injured who are dying due to lack of care', he said. Awad added that 'the bodies of the martyrs are lying on the ground in the hospital corridors after the morgue reached full capacity. The situation is catastrophic in every sense of the word.' Israel imposed an aid blockade on the Gaza Strip on March 2 after talks to prolong a six-week ceasefire broke down. The resulting shortages of food and medicine have aggravated an already dire situation in the Palestinian territory, although Israel has dismissed UN warnings that a potential famine looms. Medical charity Medecins du Monde said Tuesday that acute malnutrition in Gaza has 'reached levels comparable to those seen in countries facing prolonged humanitarian crises spanning several decades'. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18, and the government approved plans to expand the offensive earlier this month, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence in the Palestinian territory. Israel says that its renewed bombardments are aimed at forcing Hamas to free hostages. – 'Full force' – Following a short pause in air strikes during the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander on Monday, Israel resumed pounding Gaza, killing 28 people in a strike near a hospital in Khan Yunis, according to civil defence agency figures. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the military would enter Gaza 'with full force' in the coming days, despite ongoing ceasefire efforts. Negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages have been ongoing, with the latest talks taking place in the Qatari capital of Doha. The negotiations come as US President Donald Trump tours Gulf countries including Qatar. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. Hamas is also holding the body of an Israeli soldier killed during a previous war in Gaza, in 2014. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.
Rudaw Net
28-04-2025
- Rudaw Net
Initiative to digitize Peshmerga health data launched in Erbil
Also in Kurdistan Drone attack injures three Peshmerga in Duhok province: Sources Kurdish father finds son's grave nearly a year after deadly shipwreck in Italy Senior KDP, PUK officials to meet for cabinet formation talks US energy giant inks $100 million deal for Sulaimani plant A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An initiative was launched in Erbil on Monday to digitize health data for Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Funded by an American NGO, the project is part of Washington's broader efforts to "professionalize and depoliticize" the Peshmerga "to create an effective fighting force,' the US consul general said. Work on the Peshmerga Medical Force Readiness Initiative, funded by the US-based Spirit of America NGO, began in February last year. The initiative seeks to address longstanding issues of poor coordination among units within the Peshmerga ministry - problems that became especially apparent during incidents involving ministry personnel, particularly throughout the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). 'This is a modern digital system designed to reorganize the health affairs of the Peshmerga forces. It digitally connects the medical departments of military units to the Directorate of General Affairs (DGMA). This system represents the first digital platform for health data communication in the Kurdistan Region,' according to a pamphlet distributed at the event announcing the project. US Consul General to Erbil Steve Bitner said the initiative is part of Washington's efforts to "professionalize and depoliticize" the Peshmerga. 'The platform is part of our efforts to professionalize and depoliticize the Peshmerga forces to create an effective fighting force,' Bitner said. 'A fighting force that reports to the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] and not to individual political parties.' He added that 'efficient medical operations are an essential force multiplier that enhance the Peshmerga forces' preparedness in the field.' The consul general also noted that it will provide Peshmerga medical officers with accurate medical readiness data, and standardise medical reporting. Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail said on the sidelines of the event that his ministry 'has made big achievements regarding the reform process.' Despite efforts by Washington and several European countries, the Peshmerga remains a highly partisan force in organization and loyalty, split between the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and its rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Unit 70 forces are affiliated with the PUK, and Unit 80 forces are controlled by the KDP. These two units make up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, amounting to over 100,000 troops. Unification of the Peshmerga forces has been on the agenda of the KRG for several years, and while some progress has been made and a number of brigades controlled by the PUK and the KDP have been added to the ministry, much work remains to be done. Under an agreement between the Peshmerga ministry and the Pentagon, the reform process is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Ismail expressed confidence that the reform process will be completed by the 2026 deadline. 'Unification of Peshmerga forces continues, and big steps are being taken on a daily basis,' he said, adding that Monday's initiative is part of the process. He also stated that, in line with the agreement, 11 divisions of the Peshmerga forces - comprising a total of 138,000 members - will be established.
