COVID-19: The immediate and potential long-term risks to vulnerable populations in Iraq

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. The first case of COVID-19 in Iraq was recorded in Najaf on 24 February 2020. Since then, WHO has reported a total of 233 positive cases and 20 fatalities in the country.1 The Government of Iraq (GoI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have imposed extensive measures to prevent a large outbreak of the virus in Iraq, including closing airports and land borders, mandatory quarantine upon arrival, significant movement restrictions and nationwide curfews.