President Salih to UN: Help us enact plan to give Iraqis free coronavirus vaccinations

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraq needs international assistance to enact its plan to provide its citizens with the coronavirus vaccine free of charge, the country’s president told the United Nations (UN) on Thursday.

President Barham Salih’s call for support came during a two-day special UN General Assembly session held in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Iraq is among the countries whose governments will purchase and distribute the vaccine free of charge to their citizens," Salih said.

However, almost two decades of conflict – including an "incredibly expensive war against extremism and terrorism" – damaged medical infrastructure, and a global fall in demand for Iraq’s main export of oil make meeting that goal difficult, Salih told the UN.

"This project is taking place in a volatile and complex economic situation, one that is already causing our people to suffer… which is why we must work together with friendly nations in order to secure access to vaccines for the Iraqi people," he said.

“We believe it is important for everyone to comprehend our circumstances and to help us be part of the solution in the elimination of this virus.”

Iraq is expected to receive its first batch of coronavirus vaccines from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in March 2021, the head of the General Health Directorate told Iraqi state media on Wednesday.
 
The batch will consist of 600,000 doses – enough to provide 300,000 Iraqis with the two shots they need for immunity, Halfi said.

Iraq had recorded 558,767 cases of COVID-19, including 487,863 recoveries and 12,361 deaths, by Thursday, December 3. Iraq is among the top 20 countries in terms of coronavirus case numbers, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.

The World Bank announced in October that it had approved $12 billion in assistance for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments for their citizens. Halfi told state media that Iraq was among the countries that would be receiving World Bank assistance.