Iraq has officially nominated its former Minister for Water Resources, Abdul-Latif Jamal Rashid (pictured), for the post of the Director-General of the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Saudi-based al-Sharq al-Awsat (Middle-East) Newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper quoted Rashid as saying that his nomination for the post had been addressed in an official letter by the Iraqi Council of Ministers to the UN Food & Agriculture Organization.

“Iraq’s role in FAO reflects a responsible position towards fighting poverty, desertification, as well as striving to improve the living standards of the people, through the development of water projects, along with other projects for the improvement of production,” Rashid said.

He said that “such a position would further boost Iraq’s international goodwill, in the event of the success of FAO’s director-general to achieve his missions,” adding that he had gained broad expertise during his work with the Organization.

Rashid added that “Iraq has gained a major support by the Arab League, being a strong platform in this respect.”

(Source: al-Sharq al-Awsat, Aswat al-Iraq)

Iraq’s Ambassador to the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), Hassan al-Janaby, has stated in Rome on Saturday that the prices of foodstuffs were increasing and all reports are indicating that the world is facing a very embarrasing situation, threatening to unleash a major hunger wave, but he said Iraq was able to satisfy the needs of its citizens.

According to the report from Aswat al-Iraq news agency, al-Janaby said that “[we] must witness the kind of unrest that took place in Tunisia and Algeria, unleashed due to rising prices of foodstuffs, despite fact that those two countries had achieved a considerable economic progress over the past few decades, along with the wave of anger [in] Bolivia.”

Janaby said that Iraq “had been importing more than 3 million tons of wheat per annum, and the crops storage for this year does not cause any anxiety,” pointing out that rationing the supply of the main materials had helped to keep anxiey away.”

“Iraq, with the steep rise in crude oil prices, will be able to satisfy the needs of its citizens”, he said.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

Southern Iraq’s Grand Faw Port project, recently approved by the Council of Ministers, will provide employment opportunities for 150,000, according to the National Coalition on Sunday.

“The Grand Faw Terminal, approved by the Council of Ministers in 2004, is considered one of the most important projects that can achieve revenues in billions of dollars for Iraq, in addition to providing 120,000 temporary employment opportunities and 30,000 permanent opportunities,” Hussein al-Assadi told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The Grand Faw Terminal project covers an area of 14.7 million square metres, with a depth ranging from 15 to 17 metres, with construction continuing until 2028. The project is being implemented by an Italian consortium, in cooperation with the Projects Implementation Company in the Ministry of Transportation, for an investment cost reaching 4 billion Euros.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

An adviser tp the outgoing Iraqi government said on Monday that a high commission to support food security in the country has been formed to alleviate the suffering of Iraq’s poor.

Arif Mohammed told AKnews that the outgoing Iraqi government formed the commission that includes the Health, Labour, Social Affairs, Finance and Commerce ministries.

“The committee will develop clear mechanisms to reduce food poverty through a coordinated system … It is made up of 17 members, including ministers and senior officials who will develop a comprehensive and effective plan to combat poverty,” he said.

Iraq, which has some of the world’s largest oil reserves, is looking to its oil exports to, as Mohammed said, “contribute to the recovery of the economic situation and the fight against poverty.”

The governmental advisor went on to outline the role of the health ministry which “will play a key role in addressing the crises of poverty and hunger” in the course of the high commission’s five-year study.

The last report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) placed Iraq among the 22 countries that suffer from acute poverty and lack of food security because of war and the failure of government institutions to provide the necessary sustenance.

The Iraqi Planning Ministry revealed earlier this year that the rate of poverty in Iraq stands at about 23%, equivalent to seven million people, who live below the poverty line on an individual income of less than 37,000 Iraqi Dinars (under $32) per month.

The Iraqi government expects this number to decrease to about 14% over the next five years following the implementation of the eventual recommendations of the newly established High Commission.

(Source: AKnews)

A group of Italian firms will provide advisory services to the project of the al-Faw Big Port [Grand Faw] in Basra province, southern Iraq, according to a contract with the Iraqi Transportation Ministry.

The ministry reported the event in a statement on Sunday as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency, explaining that the project will be executed in stages.

“The project will be finalized by 2028,” the press release said.

It noted that firms will execute the project at a total investment cost of four billion Euros.

IBN believes that the lead contractor on the project is Technital.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)