Iraq, which relies on oil revenues for more than 90 percent of its state budget, is also facing the lowest crude prices in more than a decade and a paralyzed political class unable to reach consensus over a new cabinet.
The health ministry says COVID-19 has killed 56 Iraqis and infected more than 800 others. But many suspect the real numbers to be much higher, as only a few thousand people from a population of 40 million have been tested.
In a bid to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, authorities have imposed a countrywide lockdown, ordering schools and most shops shut.
While the government is still paying salaries and pensions to millions, Iraq’s modest private-sector economy has come to a grinding halt overnight.
Iraq is OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer, but is ranked among the 20 most corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International. The World Bank says one in five Iraqis lives under the poverty line.
Sensing that relying on authorities would be unwise, young activists, community figures and local religious leaders have come together to try to support those with no income.
Using donations to buy essentials, like lentils, beans, rice and sugar, they pack supplies in plastic bags, talk their way through checkpoints and distribute them across the city.
In a society that deeply values abundance and generosity, particularly at the dinner table, some are too proud to admit they need help.
One government official stated that almost half the population could be food-poor by May, adding that authorities were studying options for subsidies.
The country imports most of its staples, including rice, meat and wheat. Officials say Iraq’s $60 billion in reserves would cover more than a year of food imports, but already prime minister-designate Adnan Zurfi on Saturday expressed worry that the government might have to cut public-sector wages.
