“Today, as a volunteer team, we're sending a message on International Youth Day (IYD): seize the opportunity to join volunteer awareness teams,” – this was the call to action from one of the young volunteers who played a key role in spreading vital health and climate information.

From 12 August, International Youth Day, through 25 August, young Iraqi volunteers took action during the Arbaeen visits, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. A campaign was launched to raise awareness, highlighting the impact of climate change on health, water, and food safety, managing chronic illnesses, and infection prevention during mass gatherings. Run by over 4,000 volunteers on the ground and supported by over 200 online volunteers on social media, this initiative was a joint effort by the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MoH) and UN agencies, including WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, WFP, and UNV.