Iraq
Dancers celebrate the Kurdish New Year, Newroz, in Ababayli village near Halabja on March 20, 2021. Photo: Diyari Mohammed/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The head of the United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI) shared a Newroz message of hope after a “bleak year” marked by the global pandemic and political strife in Iraq.
“Nowruz, the celebration of renewal of life and harmony, arrives with the advent of Spring, bringing new hope after a bleak year,” read the message from UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic “continues to ravage countries across the globe,” but drew hope from the worldwide vaccination campaign and the message of peace brought to Iraq by Pope Francis during his historic visit this month.
“This renewed hope is to be embraced as we strive towards a better future. With sufficient political will, a spirit of national unity and genuine determination, solutions can and must be reached,” said Hennis-Plasschaert.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are seeing a second wave of coronavirus infections, expected to be more deadly with the spread of new variants. Iraq has recorded a total of 789,390 cases, 115,210 of them within the Kurdistan Region.
Anti-government demonstrations are still regularly taking place in cities in central and southern Iraq, though in smaller numbers compared to when the protest movement began in October 2019. The protests are still being met with violence.
“Nowruz, the celebration of renewal of life and harmony, arrives with the advent of Spring, bringing new hope after a bleak year,” read the message from UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic “continues to ravage countries across the globe,” but drew hope from the worldwide vaccination campaign and the message of peace brought to Iraq by Pope Francis during his historic visit this month.
“This renewed hope is to be embraced as we strive towards a better future. With sufficient political will, a spirit of national unity and genuine determination, solutions can and must be reached,” said Hennis-Plasschaert.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are seeing a second wave of coronavirus infections, expected to be more deadly with the spread of new variants. Iraq has recorded a total of 789,390 cases, 115,210 of them within the Kurdistan Region.
Anti-government demonstrations are still regularly taking place in cities in central and southern Iraq, though in smaller numbers compared to when the protest movement began in October 2019. The protests are still being met with violence.
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