BAGHDAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) launched projects to provide temporary job opportunities for tens of thousands of people during the coronavirus pandemic to meet the food needs of their families.
A statement issued on Sunday by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said that these projects target up to 68,000 people in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, and Wasit and are run in collaboration with WFP's partners from local and international humanitarian organizations.
The WFP's initiative was to help people who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially day laborers and those who depend on seasonal employment, to quickly get back on their feet, the statement said.
It said the "participants receive a cash stipend in return for their work on useful community activities, such as clearing public parks and squares, renovating schools, planting trees, cleaning drains, painting sidewalks, recycling, and more.
Separately, the WFP is conducting further urban livelihoods projects as it is also helping another 70,000 vulnerable people by creating sustainable sources of income through climate-resilient agricultural activities, and also the WFP continues its food assistance for displaced and refugee families in camps, reaching up to an additional 45,000 vulnerable people during the pandemic.
"The urban livelihoods projects are a new way to help people both meet their food needs during the crisis and boost the local economy and benefit communities at large," the statement quoted Asif Bhutto, WFP Deputy Representative in Iraq, as saying.
"We once again thank all donors for having made this vital element of WFP's COVID-19 response possible, and welcome new contributions to be able to reach more communities at a time of great need," Bhutto added. Enditem
