As the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread in an unpredictable manner it presents a growing risk to all stakeholders involved in food assistance, particularly during food distributions.
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.
This briefing note summarizes key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the
2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The brief was last updated February 2020.
