As part of the ongoing efforts by economic specialists at Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University to address the challenges of material poverty and improve citizens’ standard of living, Prof. Dr. Hassan Latif Al-Zubaidi, President of Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, participated in a specialized dialogue session titled “Poverty in Iraq by 2025”, within the framework of the Third International Future Week Festival for Sustainability, organized by Al-Mustaqbal University and headed by its President, Prof. Dr. Hassan Majdi, with the participation of local and Arab academic experts.Prof. Al-Zubaidi discussed indicators contributing to the rise in material poverty rates in Iraq. According to statistics issued by the Ministry of Planning, approximately 25% of the population lives below the poverty line. He highlighted the following contributing factors:
• Weakness in the education system: Iraq’s educational system faces numerous challenges, leading to poor quality of education and high dropout rates.
• Unemployment: High unemployment rates among Iraqi youth have significantly increased levels of material poverty.
• Demographic vulnerability: Many Iraqi families suffer from precarious demographic conditions, leading to greater poverty.
• Multidimensional poverty: Iraq suffers from multidimensional poverty, which includes not only material deprivation but also lack of access to essential services such as health and education.
• Food insecurity: Many Iraqi families experience food insecurity, contributing further to rising poverty levels.
The lecture also addressed Iraq’s initiatives to alleviate poverty through programs aimed at improving citizens’ living conditions and reducing material poverty, including:
• Producing and updating poverty maps for high-need areas
• Directing investment toward impoverished areas based on poverty analysis
• Activating special development funds to support poor regions
• Supporting the Social Fund for Development
• Financing small and medium-sized development projects
• Accelerating the Poverty Reduction Strategy and urging relevant government agencies to approve and implement it swiftly
The session featured in-depth discussions among attendees and concluded with key recommendations.
Prof. Al-Zubaidi called on experts to reduce poverty by:
• Accelerating the approval of the national Poverty Reduction Strategy, with strong efforts by the Ministry of Planning to expedite this process
• Supporting Social Fund for Development programs, which finance local small- and medium-scale development projects in poor areas, creating job opportunities and strengthening community infrastructure (e.g., schools, health centers, potable water)
• Activating the work of relevant special funds, especially the Fund for Supporting the Poorest Provinces and the Fund for Liberated Provinces
• Redirecting investments to the poorest governorates based on poverty analysis outcomes
At the conclusion of the session, Prof. Al-Zubaidi was honored by Prof. Dr. Hassan Majdi, President of Al-Mustaqbal University, in recognition of his outstanding efforts.
