For Iraq, where decades of conflict and recurrent emergencies, coupled with continued instability across the region, mean the health system must remain prepared for mass-casualty incidents, population movements and sudden pressure on essential health services, this capacity is particularly important.

These challenges intersect with an increasingly complex risk landscape. Climate change is intensifying extreme heat and other environmental hazards, and disease outbreaks pose a continuing public health threat. Iraq also hosts some of the world’s largest religious mass gatherings, including Arba’een, when millions of pilgrims travel across the country, requiring extensive health preparedness and emergency response capacity.

Regional conflict, population movements, climate-related hazards, disease outbreaks and mass gatherings can overlap and amplify one another. Building strong national emergency medical capacity is therefore an important investment in Iraq’s health security and resilience.