Key Takeaways:
- Iraq’s Parliament Approves Sudani’s New Government – On October 27, the Iraqi parliament voted to approve the government program and cabinet presented by PM Mohammed Shya al-Sudani. During the parliament session, held amid tight security precautions, lawmakers voted to approve 20 ministerial candidates, leaving three portfolios vacant. In his government program, Sudani said he will work to hold early elections within a year, hold new provincial elections, pass new federal court and federation council bills within six months, and return all internally displaced persons within six months. Sudani’s government program otherwise lacked deliberate vision and specific plans, often referencing the new government’s intent to carry on the implementation of existing plans. The 20 ministers approved on Thursday included four incumbent and former ministers, and at least two new ministers with close connections to militia groups. Earlier this week, the Coordination Framework had said that the ministries of defense and interior would be “excluded from muhasasa,” implying that other ministries would be decided based on Iraq’s tradition of ethno-sectarian apportionment. In other developments, on October 24, Iraq’s outgoing interior minister announced that a special task force arrested one of the main suspects in the embezzlement of nearly $2.5 billion from the tax commission’s accounts, while he was attempting to flee the country on a private jet. more…
- Explosion Kills Demining Workers In Basra – On October 24, two demining workers were killed and a third person was seriously injured when a mine exploded during demining operations in the al-Shalamcheh region, east of Basra. In other developments, on October 22, a mortar attack struck a village northeast of Baquba, wounding two civilians. Between October 22 – 26, attacks by ISIS militants in Diyala and Kirkuk killed three members of the security forces and injured at least two others. more…
- Large Funding Gaps Hinder Humanitarian Efforts; New Study Reveals Severe Economic Damage From Water Shortage – On October 23, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a serious funding gap affecting the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). OCHA said that donors have provided $161 million in funding through the month of September, just 40% of the $400 million needed to assist nearly a million people with acute humanitarian needs. Meanwhile, UNICEF said that its response to ongoing needs of nearly 800,000 children in Iraq was severely underfunded, having secured only $12 million against a requirement of $52.2 million. The three most impacted sectors are health and nutrition, education, and water, sanitation and hygiene, being 74%, 80%, and 93% underfunded, respectively. On October 24, a new study by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) provided new insight into the impact of water scarcity on the economic conditions of farming communities in five Iraqi provinces. Four in ten respondents said they produced less grain, fruit, and vegetables in 2022 compared to 2021, a quarter said almost their entire wheat crops failed, and a quarter of were forced to depend on food assistance because of the poor harvest. more…
- Baghdad Court Annuls More KRG Oil Contracts; Saudi Arabia Eyes Billions In New Investments In Iraq – On October 25, an Iraqi court in Baghdad ruled to annul oil and gas contracts signed between the Kurdistan regional government and three foreign energy companies: Addax Petroleum, Gulf Keystone, and ShaMaran. On October 26, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said that his country’s public investments fund will establish five regional companies with the objective of investing in five regional markets, including Iraq. The companies will seek to make investments of up to $24 billion targeting various sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture, financial services, mineral industries, and communications. In other developments, on October 24, Iraq’s outgoing minister of communications said the country has completed a long-delayed project to establish international internet gateways designed to generate more revenue and prevent “smuggling” of internet bandwidth. more…
For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.