Cash as a core component of the COVID-19 Response in Iraq

The COVID-19 pandemic and the containment measures imposed to limit transmission have both severe immediate and long-term economic consequences. The globe is experiencing ‘one of the sharpest economic contractions in modern times.’ As always in a time of crisis, it is the
most vulnerable that will bear the consequences as they do not have the resources to weather ‘lockdowns’ or survive without income for extended periods. With recognition to these dire economic circumstances, countries worldwide are using cash transfers as a component of their COVID-19 response to mitigate the vulnerabilities of their citizens and economies.

This briefing note outlines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq and calls on the donor community to enable the Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) to launch a large-scale cash response that both meets existing humanitarian needs and reduces the level of economic shock affecting the broader Iraqi population.