IRAQ* (22 September)
A FAO/WFP Crop, Food Security Assessment Mission which visited Iraq from 5 June to 14 July 2003 estimated the 2003 total cereal production in Iraq at 4.12 million tonnes, about 22 percent above last year’s estimates. Cereal stocks in silos across the country are estimated at about 1.63 million tonnes. Planned cereal imports in the marketing year 2003/04 (July/June) are estimated at 3.44 million tonnes, of which 3.2 million tonnes are approved food contracts currently in the WFP pipeline and the earlier outstanding approved, funded and outstanding letter-of-credit issued food contracts between the former Government of Iraq and international food suppliers to be called forward.
This year’s good agricultural production and the lifting of economic sanctions contrast with the enormous economic difficulties faced by the majority of the population. The effects of war and economic sanctions compounded by three years of severe drought (1999–2001) have seriously eroded people’s asset base and forced a large proportion of the population to rely on food rations for their daily subsistence. The Mission’s findings indicate that about 55 percent of the population is poor, and 44 percent are currently food insecure. The Public Distribution System (PDS) operated under the Oil-for-Food programme established by UN SCR 986 (1995) is and has been providing food for the entire population of approximately 26.3 million Iraqis. While starvation has been averted, chronic malnutrition problems persist especially among vulnerable groups, including children and mothers, and is largely due to a lack of nutrition diversity.
A marked improvement in the nutritional well-being of the population will require a substantial flow of resources into rehabilitation of the agriculture sector and the economy as a whole. Although there is potentiallyenough food and sufficient food diversityfrom imports and domestic agriculture, there is insufficient access to nutritious food, and more than half of the population remains without the buying power to obtain a proper diet on a regular basis.