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UNHCR would like to inform you about the release of the 2021-2022 Iraq 3RP (Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan) for Syrian refugees. Entering its tenth year, the Syria situation remains one of the largest refugee crises in the world, with millions of Syrian refugees in the region, including around 245,000 in Iraq. In 2015, recognizing the unique challenges facing host countries and communities in so generously hosting Syrian refugees, the international community instituted a comprehensive approach called the 3RP. Going beyond emergency assistance, the new approach combined humanitarian and development responses to the Syria crisis into a single coherent plan in line with national plans and priorities in Iraq, in close collaboration with the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) Ministry of Planning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated already existing vulnerabilities of refugees residing in Iraq. Movement restrictions, combined with the temporary closure of shops and non-essential businesses, had a negative effect on food security and the ability to meet basic needs, resulting in an increased need for food and cash assistance, and livelihoods interventions. Assistance delivery modalities had to be modified in 2020 due to the pandemic, with many activities being performed remotely. With the pandemic still ongoing, remote modalities are likely to continue, with activities transitioning into in-person modality, when possible and keeping health precautions in place. Additional programming will be put in place to address exacerbated needs caused by the COVID-19 situation.

In 2021-2022 Iraq 3RP partners will continue to advocate for an effective legal refugee protection framework in Iraq and provide humanitarian and basic needs assistance, targeting the most vulnerable households and new arrivals without any community support. However, given the protracted displacement of the majority of Syrian refugees, the 3RP response will continue to focus on a gradual transition from an emergency humanitarian response to a longer-term solutions-oriented approach, including the graduation of refugees from dependency on humanitarian assistance to self-reliance and the inclusion of refugees in public services and national systems, strongly aligned with the overarching objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees.

This gradual transition complements humanitarian activities with programmes that aim to strengthen the resilience of the refugee community and the host community alike, empower host authorities through capacity building in service delivery and coordination, enhance income-generating programming and engage stronger with development actors. By actively bridging the divide between humanitarian and development programming, the 3RP response will highlight the sustainability and cost-efficiency of its interventions. The decrease in humanitarian actors and funding opportunities in Iraq will remain a risk in 2021-2022 and could jeopardize a full transition to self-reliance and national ownership in the absence of sustainable alternatives.

This risk needs to be mitigated by 3RP partners by aiming at responsible disengagement, in which transitioning to national ownership is gradual and based on available capacities at government side, and not on lack of funding solely.

Multilateral briefings to relevant stakeholders will be organized during the next months.

Contact Information: :

For more information, please contact Ruben Nijs (3RP Inter-Sector Coordinator): nijs@unhcr.org.

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Release of the 2021-2022 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan - Iraq - ReliefWeb

One year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Iraqs health sector remains unable to adequately respond to the crisis. Iraq has struggled to deal with the COVID-19 emergency since the first case appeared in the country in late February 2020. Weakened by more than three decades of conflict, international sanctions, corruption, and social and economic neglect, the country and its health system were ill-equipped to respond to a pandemic.

As of late March 2021, following another major surge in infections, more than 844,000 Iraqis have contracted the novel coronavirus, and more than 14,200 have died. The number of cases is about 22 per 1,000 people, a rate that places Iraq among the hardest-hit countries in the Middle East. The official figures, which are based on limited testing and poor data systems, are almost certainly lower than the actual number of cases and deaths.

A crisis waiting to unfold

In many respects, Iraq was a public health crisis waiting to unfold. Decades of conflicts, coupled with international sanctions and lack of attention to the health sector, have severely damaged Iraqs health care system, shaping an environment that led many qualified doctors and other medical professionals to leave the country.

Iraq spends less than many of its neighbors on health. The countrys annual budget in 2019 was 133 trillion Iraqi dinar (ID); of that, only six trillion ID (4.5 percent of the annual budget) were spent on health and the environment. The World Health Organization notes that Iraq spent only $154 per person for health services in 2015, compared to neighboring Irans $366 and Jordans $257.

Iraqs weak, under-resourced public health system has had a deep and widespread negative impact on public health. Non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lung diseases, account for 55 percent of deaths in Iraq. More than 30 percent of the population suffers from hypertension, 14 percent from diabetes, and more than 30 percent is obese. In the last three decades, the Iraqi population has increased significantly, to more than 39 million in 2019 from 7.28 million in 1960. However, the health system has not kept pace. According to the World Bank, for every 1,000 Iraqis, there are 1.3 hospital beds, a drop from 1.9 in 1980, and 0.8 physicians, a significant drop from 1.0 in 2014. This is far fewer than other countries in the Middle East.

According to Dr. Abdulameer al-Shammary, the former head of the Iraqi Medical Association, which regulates, oversees, and advocates for the rights of doctors, these challenges are multifold. He notes, The public health sector is suffering. The numbers of health professionals and centers are very low and do not match the increase in population. There is a lack of medical supplies and mismanagement of human resources. The waiting list in public hospitals is very long. Patients prefer to go to the private sector. There are no guidelines for treatment or proper sanitation or disposal of waste.

The long-term neglect of the health sector has also had a demonstrably negative impact on the countrys health infrastructure. Health centers suffer from chronic shortages of medical supplies and resources. For Iraqis, accessing public medical care is inexpensive. However, the quality of care is so substandard that many resort to private medical care if they have the financial means to do so. Because there is no private health insurance, the average Iraqi covers about 70 percent of their out-of-pocket health expenditures, making quality health care an expensive proposition for most people. Many Iraqis seek medical care in other countries, such as Indian, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

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Challenges Faced by the Iraqi Health Sector in Responding to COVID-19 [EN/AR] - Iraq - ReliefWeb

Americans and the world are waking up to the news of Daunte Wright's death this morning, as another Black man has been shot and killed by police.

The 20-year-old died after he was shot by an officer during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.

The incident has sparked severe unrest late into Sunday night amid heightened tensions in the city as the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged in the death of George Floyd continues.

Daunte Wright's mother, Katie Wright, spoke to reporters on Sunday afternoon and said that her son called her when police had pulled him over for having air fresheners dangling from his rear-view mirror.

"I heard scuffling, and I heard police officers say, 'Daunte, don't run,'" she said. "Like a minute later, I called and his girlfriend answered, which was the passenger in the car, and said that he'd been shot and she put it on the driver's side, and my son was laying there lifeless."

In a news release, Brooklyn Center police chief Tim Gannon said officers shot Wright after pulling his car over for a traffic violation, and discovering that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Tear gas and rubber bullets fired by officers in riot gear to disperse hundreds of protesters at the Brooklyn Center police department.

The local mayor Mike Elliott has declared a local emergency and enforced a curfew.

As Americans wake up, many high-profile voices and celebrities are reacting to the shooting and growing unrest in Minnesota.

"There isn't even anything left to say anymore," tweeted actress Ashley Nicole Black. "There is no more raising awareness. Everyone is aware. We simply live in a country that refuses to stop killing its citizens. RIP Daunte Wright, and prayers up for all who knew him."

Although she did not reference the shooting of Wright specifically, Bernice King tweeted on Monday morning: "A hashtag isn't a holistic view of a person's humanity. And a sound bite isn't someone's whole story."

The daughter of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. added: "Take care here. Hold your soul dear."

Comedian Travon Free wrote on Twitter: "The cycle continues. #DaunteWright."

CSI Miami star Omar Benson Miller tweeted: "This powder keg is going to erupt sooner than later & I just pray that the rebuild of America is better than the original model. #DaunteWright #SayHisName."

Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi retweeted ACLU of Minnesota, writing: "Say his name: Daunte Wright."

Rapper The Game added: "R.I.P. Daunte Wright.... SMFH Minneapolis police have shot & killed a 20 year old black child over an insurance card."

Civil rights activist and Baptist minister Al Sharpton tweeted: "I just spoke by phone to the father of Duante Wright, the 20 year old killed by police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. NAN will stand w/ this family and demand justice in this matter."

"My heart aches for the family of Duante Wright, pulled over near Minneapolis and killed by the police," tweeted New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. "As the Twin Cities awaits justice for George Floyd, how much can a community bear? Black Lives Matter today and every day."

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Bernice King and Other Celebrities Condemn Shooting of Daunte Wright - Newsweek

Rev. Al Sharpton leads prayer for justice for George Floyd

Rev. Al Sharpton led the family of George Floyd in a prayer for justice outside the Hennepin County Courthouse Tuesday, where the trial for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in Floyd's death, is taking place.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Rev. Al Sharpton led the family of George Floyd and others in a prayer Tuesday outside the Hennepin County Courthouse, where the trial of Derek Chauvin is taking place. Chauvin is the former Minneapolis police officer charged in Floyds death.

"We wept through many cases from Rodney King to Eric Garner to Michael Brownsome never reached the courthouse," Sharpton said. "But here we are now, in the shadows of a courthouse, praying for justice."

Among the attendees at the prayer were Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump, Eric Garners mother Gwen Carr and former New York Governor David Paterson.

Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, said Tuesday that after his family and others get the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, which he believes will be a conviction, they will be able to breathe. Philonise spoke following a group prayer led by Rev. Al Sharpton outside the Hennepin County Courthouse, where the Chauvin trial is taking place.

Philonise Floyd, George Floyds brother, spoke following the prayer, saying, "After we get the verdict andwe get this conviction, well be able to breathe."

Sharpton, Crump and Carr were all seen inside the courthouse Tuesday morning with some members of the Floyd family, according to the pool reporter.Only one member of the Floyd family is allowed in the courtroom at a time, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Family members have been rotating who takes the seat in the courtroom each day.

Terrance Floyd, another one of George Floyd's brother was in the courtroom for the morning session on Monday. He told pool reporters listening to the testimony is difficult, but his family is staying strong through the trial.

Rev. Al Sharpton and the Floyd family kneeled for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to honor George Floyd ahead of the Chauvin trial.

Last Monday, on the first official day of the trial, Sharpton, the Floyd family and others kneeled for eight minutes and 49 seconds in remembrance of George Floyd. Eight minutes and 46 seconds is symbolic of the amount of time Chauvin kneeled on Floyds neck during his deadly arrest on May 25, 2020, although prosecutors say it was actually nine minutes and 29 seconds.

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George Floyd's brother: 'After we get this verdict and we get this conviction, well be able to breathe' - FOX 9

Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Robert Manfred decided to move the All-Star Game on his own after holding extensive discussions with voting rights groups associated with Lebron James, Stacey Abrams and Rev. Al Sharpton, sources familiar with the move tell Fox News.

Abrams told a senior league official that she wanted him to denounce the Georgiavoting rights law, according to people with directknowledge of the matter. People associated with Sharpton's civil rightsorganization, and James's voting right group, "More than a Vote" also pressured league officials, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.

After these conversations, Manfred believed the All Star game would be turned into a political event and players would boycott the game, these people say. Baseball sources say that Abrams current stance, that she is disappointed about the Georgia boycott, is suspect because she was among the most prominentpolitical operatives to pressure theleague to denounce thenew law. James has publicly supported the Georgia boycott.

People close to Manfred believe Abrams group and Sharpton also wanted theleague to support other issues, including voter drives and H.R. 1, the For the People Act sweeping election reform that recently passed the House.

"They wanted us to do more than just a pre-game ceremony...Baseball would have to be in the market for doing stuff involving voting rights," a senior MLB executive with direct knowledge of the matter tells Fox News.

Manfred decided the easiest way to deal with the matter was to leave Georgia, according to a source.

After Manfred made the decision, he told the eight-member executive committee before making the announcement, which surprised the 22 other teams. Manfred said the decision was made after discussions with the MLB Players Association and its Players Alliance.

GEORGIA VOTING LAW: READ FULL TEXT

The game will now be held in Colorado.

In a statement to Fox New, Abrams spokesman Seth Bringman downplayed her role in the entire matter. "In a single, 1-on-1 conversation with an MLB senior advisor, sheurged the league to keep the All-Star game in Georgia and to speak out against the law when they do,"Bringman said.

Abrams wrote on Twitter last week after the move was announced that she was "Disappointed @MLB will move the All-Star Game, but proud of their stance on voting rights. GA GOP traded economic opportunity for suppression. On behalf of PoC targeted by #SB202 to lose votes + now wages, I urge events & productions to come & speak out or stay & fight. #gapol"

She later released another statement. "Like many Georgians, I am disappointed that the MLB is moving its All-Star Game; however, I commend the players, owners and League Commissioner for speaking out," she wrote. "As I have stated, I respect boycotts, although I dont want to see Georgia families hurt by lost events and jobs. Georgians targeted by voter suppression will be hurt as opportunities go to other states."

Representativesfor James and Sharpton did not respond to requests for comment.

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MLB commissioner decided to move All-Star Game after pressure from Stacey Abrams on voting issues: sources - Fox News