Fallujah paediatrician Dr Samira Alaani has launched a Change.org petition calling for official data on rates of congenital birth defects in Iraq to be submitted for peer review in the open-access journal PLoS One after repeated publication delays by the World Health Organisation and Iraqi government. Results from the nationwide study, undertaken by the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2012, are now long overdue. Iraqi researchers interviewed by the BBC earlier this year claimed it will link increased incidence rates of birth defects with areas subject to heavy fighting in the 2003 war – a hugely significant and politically sensitive conclusion. Dr Alaani is calling for the data to be submitted to the…

Baghdad-1stAug-2013 A national celebration hold on the 3rd anniversary of Oslo treaty to ban use trade stock and manufactory of cluster munitions by patronage of Minster of environment Mr. Sargon Lazar ,attended by deputy Minster ,general director of DMA Mr. Essa Alfyadh ,director of civil defense ,representative of Ministries , director of IMCO ,civil society,group of survivors ,and many media channels - Deputy Minster talked about them efforts to achieve booth Oslo and Ottawa treaties - Mr Zahim Jehad ,,IMCO ,, talked abouth them implementation on detect and remove all UXOs on the fields - Director of IADO ,Mr Moaffak Alkhafaji , present the presentation of CMC on this event shown the size of UXOs effect on civilian and children…

When they started preparations, local organizers of the Iraqi Social forum (ISF) were hoping to gather more than five thousand activists, between Iraqis and internationals (read the call for internationals) in the center of Baghdad. Their vision was to bring back, through this event, the image of civic peace and activism in a city that once upon a time was known as Dar Alsalam (City of Peace )(read ISF charter). Many challenges have faced this group of activists. It has been very complicate to get official approval for an independent event such as the Iraqi social forum in the midst of political conflicts. It is even more complicated to organize it while the country is facing a new wave of…

The IKMMA newsletter is attached below and available in English.

SYO (South Youth Organization), a National NGO that operates in Iraq, recently issued a report higlighting it main activities in Iraq (attached). 

Press release and details available in English and Arabic