Zig’s Place Chat and News Tuesday PM 6-8-21

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butterfly  Syrian air defenses repel an Israeli missile attack in the sky of Damascus

Wednesday 09 June 2021 00:10......The Syrian news agency / SANA / announced: "The air defenses repelled an Israeli missile attack in the sky of the capital, Damascus," while the Syrian TV said: "The attack was launched from the Lebanese airspace and targeted the central and southern regions."

The sounds of explosions were heard in the Syrian cities of Lattakia and Homs.

butterfly  Addressing the Needs of Iraq's Most Vulnerable....9th June 2021 in Healthcare.....Addressing needs of Iraq's most vulnerable critical for inclusive and sustainable recovery from COVID-19, new UNDP reports say

Recovery strategies targeting Iraq's vulnerable populations - including women, youth and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) - must be prioritized to ensure inclusive and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 in Iraq, according to two new complementary reports released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Both reports emanate from a study that explores the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on socio-economic status and livelihoods at the household level, with a focus on its impact on vulnerable groups such as women, youth, children, persons with disabilities, and displaced communities. It compares urban and rural settings and considers impacts in both Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Original data collected and presented in the first report, Findings of the Assessment of COVID-19's Socioeconomic Impact on Iraq's Vulnerable Populations forms the basis for the subsequent policy report: Impact of COVID-19 on Iraq's Vulnerable Populations.

The latter examines policy implications of the data findings and argues that building an inclusive path forward will require establishing sustainable systems and structures, listening and responding to the voices of the vulnerable, and laying out realistic goals to enable attainment of the 2030 Agenda.

butterfly Key findings include:  Income losses were widespread, with differences between Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, displaced vs non-displaced populations, and women and men employees.

Daily workers were most affected by the economic downturn

COVID-19 led to high food costs and the need for coping strategies

While community insecurity and gender-based violence increased, community level tensions were low.

Delayed income and loss of employment opportunities impacted households

Women and female-headed households reported greater impacts in some areas, such as a reduction in household income.

The reports are the sixth and seventh papers in a series released by UNDP on the impact of COVID-19 in Iraq.

"COVID-19 has, and will continue to have, long-term consequences for vulnerable Iraqis in accessing sustainable livelihoods, food security, health and education - particularly women, youth, the elderly, people living with disabilities and the displaced," says Resident Representative of UNDP Iraq, Zena Ali Ahmad.

"As the report clearly suggests, without sufficient attention to these vulnerable communities, Iraq may not achieve long-term, equitable sustainable development and recovery, and risks undoing the progress made towards achieving Agenda 2030. This could further undermine the social contract between the State and its citizens at a time where this is of critical importance.

We urge the Government of Iraq, Kurdistan Regional Government, local actors and the international community to consider the policy recommendations outlined in the report and band together and tackle this issue. As always, UNDP Iraq stands ready to support these efforts to improve the lives of all Iraqis," adds Ms Ali Ahmad.

butterfly   NDP Iraq is grateful to UN-Habitat and IOM for its partnership and important contributions to Findings of the Assessment of COVID-19's Socioeconomic Impact on Iraq's Vulnerable Population and Impact of COVID-19 on Iraq's Vulnerable Populations.

Previously released papers in UNDP's socioeconomic impact assessment series:

Impact of COVID-19 and the Oil Crisis on Iraq's Fragility

Impact of COVID-19 on the Iraqi Economy

Impact of COVID-19 on Social Cohesion in Iraq

Impact of COVID-19 on Social Protection in Iraq

Impact of COVID-19 on Environmental Sustainability in Iraq    (Source: UN)

butterfly   Iraq to Distribute Plots of Land to Citizens......9th June 2021......Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has said the Iraqi Government is working on a national project to distribute plots of land to citizens.

In a statement following Tuesday's cabinet meeting, al-Kadhimi added:  "In order to prevent any manipulation, and for the sake of justice in the distribution of entitlement, there will be an (electronic application) to be announced soon for the purpose of registering and sorting the categories of eligible lands.

"Priority in distributing land will be determined among eligible citizens according to points and without preference or interference from any party."   (Source: Govt of Iraq)

butterfly   China to Rehabilitate the Nassiriyah International Airport....9th June 2021 .......Iraq and China have signed a contract for the rehabilitation of Nassiriyah International Airport.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi attended the signing on Tuesday.

According to Shafaq, the contract was signed by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) and the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).   (Sources: Govt of Iraq)

butterfly   UK, Iraq sign Strategic Partnership........9th June 2021.............British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has met with Prime Minister Kadhimi, President Salih, Foreign Minister Hussein and other high-ranking officials in the Iraqi Government.

Foreign Secretary Raab reaffirmed the UK's commitment to Iraq through signing the UK and Iraq's Strategic Partnership. He met commanders from the Global Coalition against Daesh in which the UK is a leading member and from NATO.

In addition, he discussed the UK's £17m contribution to battle Covid-19 in Iraq and UK support for Iraq's ambitious and much-needed economic reform plans, building the UK's launch of the inaugural Iraq Economic Contact Group on 21 October.

Foreign Secretary Raab said:   "The UK will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government of Iraq as it works to rebuild from Daesh, make progress on reform, and deliver a more peaceful and hopeful future for its citizens. I am pleased we were able to sign the UK-Iraq strategic partnership today to further deepen and strengthen our friendship.

"The UK will provide £1 million of UK aid to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq ahead of the upcoming elections to help ensure a free and fair process for the Iraqi people."   (Sources: UK FCDO, Govt of Iraq)

butterfly   Iran imports foodstuffs with its frozen funds in Iraq

06/09/2021...........{Economic: Al Furat News} A member of the Presidium of the Iranian-Iraqi Joint Chamber of Commerce confirmed the supply of food shipments through coverage of Iran's frozen assets in Iraq.

Hamid Hosseini said in a statement to Fars News Agency on Tuesday that "after a visit by the Iraqi Minister of Economy to Tehran, the Iranian Minister of Energy confirmed that some of the food shipments supplied to Iran were covered by Iranian dues on Iraq."

He pointed out, "The minister also mentioned that it was agreed at the meeting to buy 16 million doses of the Corona vaccine through the Kovacs mechanism (to the World Health Organization) through Iran's dues to the neighboring country."

Hosseini pointed out that "the spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, in turn, confirmed Baghdad's determination to pay the dues to Iran, and it has a timetable for payment."

And he indicated, "The dues owed by Iraq from supplying Iranian electricity have been paid, as the Mbna Industrial Group has projects in Iraq and it seems that the Ministry of Energy obtained its debts in the Iraqi dinar currency, but the National Gas Company insists on the return of foreign exchange that comes from Exporting to Iraq, as it is benefited from by purchasing and supplying goods to Iran.

butterfly   The government is discussing and reconsidering internal and external borrowing

06/08/2021.........{Local: Al Furat News} The Ministry of Planning discussed, on Tuesday, working to reconsider according to the economic and financial conditions of Iraq, and to ensure maximum benefit from loans, whether internal or external,

Minister of Planning Khaled Battal Al-Najm chaired a joint meeting between the Ministries of Planning and Finance, which included Undersecretary for Technical Affairs Maher Hammad Johan, Director General of the Public Debt Department in the Ministry of Finance Khaled Salah El-Din, and Director General of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning, Saher Abdel-Kazim, and a number of experts. And advisers in the two ministries, according to the statement.

During the meeting, "discussing the borrowing mechanisms currently in force, and working to reconsider them in accordance with the economic and financial conditions of Iraq, in a manner that ensures maximum benefit from loans, whether internal or external, in financing investment and service projects, in a manner that does not constitute a burden on the national economy."   Forgiveness of Lights

Sheila   USE YOUR OWN DISCERNMENT: Nicks Podbean, 06/08/2021 Podcast Live Telegram Call The Bond Question -- https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-57si2-105be4d

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