Essay Sample Describing the Hunger in Iraq

As per the United Nations records, about 4.4 million people in Iraq require being assisted with food. In Iraq about 30%of the population tend to live below the national poverty line whereby the poorest districts have the highest number of people living in poverty. These communities are vulnerable to lacking basic foodstuffs and limited resources. The economic development of Iraq has been affected by the several years of conflict which has caused more than three million people seeking refuge. As a result of the social disruption, economic hardship and violence thousands of families in Iraq desperately needed food assistance as the food insecurity in Iraq could leave vulnerability levels which is unprecedented (Arya, Neil, and Sheila Zurbrigg).

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One of the major cause of the food shortage in Iraq is as a result of the high rate of displacement in the country. There is still an open conflict between the government of Iraq and the Islamic State which has forced even the smallholder farmers from their homes. Fighting in regions such as Kirkuk, Nineveh, Salahuddin and Anbar had contributed significantly to the hunger in Iraq since these are some of the front regions in the sector of food production and therefore production in such areas have reduced greatly. The main reason as to why the farmers are running away from these regions is because the sectarian violence has mostly aimed at the agrarian production sector. They have shown their willingness to destroy farming equipment. This has resulted in farmers being coupled with several difficulties of growing the crops due to fuel shortage, lack of agricultural machinery as well as ethnic retribution. Most of the fertile land in central part of Iraq is either the site of the military operation that is ongoing or under Islamic State control.

Another cause of food insecurity in Iraq is policy. The 2015 budget of Iraq did not set aside the money that was to be used to buy grains from the areas that were controlled by the Islamic States. This was contributed by the fear political calculations as well as the fear of giving cash to that particular group. The poor in Iraq are the people who are at the greatest risk of facing malnutrition risk as well as those people in the orphanages, prisons and hospitals.

One of the initiatives that the United Nations emergency food relief has undertaken to assist in the eradication of the food crisis is strengthening social safety nets and livelihood of people living in the rural areas as well as improving nutrition awareness. The Iraq government together with the UN World Food Programme prepared a Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis which was required to act as a guide to the policymakers, humanitarian and government work. The need of improving access to education mostly for girls was also considered as being an essential component that could help in the fight against hunger in Iraq by the Un World Food Programme. To help in tackling the hunger issue the State Department also plans to spend $155 million in offering humanitarian assistance.

In conclusion, the major cause of the hunger and food shortage in Iraq has been contributed greatly by the prolonged period of war whereby the Islamic States have occupied and taken control of the major farming areas in Iraq. To help in dealing with the problem creation of nutritional awareness, educating the girls and strengthening social safety nets and livelihood of people living in the rural areas are some of the initiatives that have been undertaken.

Works Cited

Arya, Neil, and Sheila Zurbrigg. "Operation Infinite Injustice: impact of sanctions and prospective war on the people of Iraq." Canadian Journal of Public Health/Revue

Canadienne de Sante'e Publique 94.1 (2003): 9-12.