'Assessment of the food and nutrition situation in Iraq' joint missionreport summary by the Food and Agricultural Organization, World FoodProgramme and the World Health Organization of the United Nations

摘要

An FAO/WFP/WHO Mission visited Iraq from 1-27 May 2000. The objective of the mission was to assess the current food supply and nutrition situation in the country, particularly after two consecutive years of drought, and to compare the results with the findings of the previous assessment missions of 1993, 1995, and 1997. Two consecutive years of severe drought and inadequate availability of essential agricultural inputs have severely affected the Iraqi agriculture. Reflecting a substantial reduction in plantings and yields, cereal production in 2000 fell to 794,000 tons; some 47 percent below the 1999 poor harvest and 64 percent lower than the previous five years average. Drought conditions also drastically reduced the water resources in rivers, dams, lakes and canals, some of which have virtually dried up. As a result, prospects are unfavorable for the upcoming irrigated summer crops, vegetables and fruits. Cereal imports since 1997/98 under the oil-for-food deal have led to significant improvements in the food supply situation. In 1995/96 per caput cereal consumption was down 63 percent from the 1984/85 to 1988/89 average. This year (2000/01) it is projected to be 90 percent of that level. However this is 4 percent less than 1997/98. Furthermore, problems of delays in the flow of food imports continue to be reported since the 1997 Mission, leading to repeated cases of low levels of MOU commodity stocks.