Poverty and Unemployment Not Being Addressed

Iraq has both the natural and financial resources needed to support redevelopment programs. The country possesses considerable agricultural potential. Currently, the agricultural GDP declined from 7.5% to less than 1% after 2003. The unstable security situation has further eroded the Government of Iraq's (GoI) ability to reach its goals, resulting in considerable unemployment. Most people are dependent on employment through the Government, resulting in entire households being desperate to put food on the table. The lack of opportunity provided by the GoI has enticed the unemployed to work with militias and terrorist organizations.

The GOI has an essential role in combating poverty, improving governance and building the public and private sectors. Since this is difficult due to the lack of leadership, the GoI must focus on increasing its national GDP through farming and industrial production. In order to reduce the unemployment level Iraq must restore its agricultural productions. The Government must hire foreign agencies to build and oversee the implementation of Iraq's redevelopment projects. It should be the foreign agencies that educate (capacity building) the local authorities on their roles in the redevelopment projects. It is essential to recruit consultants and experts to run the country’s economic industries.

The coming elections are crucial to Iraq's reformation and economic growth. The new leadership must prioritize its efforts to combat poverty. If the current situation continues unreformed, half of the Iraqi population will be living below the poverty line within four years. Although a difficult battle, it is one that Iraq must overcome. All Iraq needs is a functional Government that can implement policy reforms, capacity building, and investment programs.

Security, the rule of law, and transparency will improve economic growth, leading to self sufficiency, which will in turn eliminate the country's dependency on imports. Nevertheless, the politicians that are running for election are overlooking the roots of Iraq's problems, which are poverty and unemployment.