02203cas a2200289 a 4500 AALejournalIMF021517 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781513568904 1934-7685 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept. Iraq : 2020 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Iraq. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2021. 1 online resource (68 pages) IMF Staff Country Reports <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students Iraq's socio-economic fragilities have been severely aggravated by the pandemic and the sharp decline in oil revenues, which arrived on the heels of widespread social unrest and political instability. The health system's limited capacity has been strained, while the fiscal position has become untenable as oil revenues declined sharply to a level that barely covers the government's large wage and pension bills. Although the number of new infections declined recently, Iraq registered the second-highest COVID-related fatalities in the region, and the fiscal response to the pandemic has been one of the lowest. A six-month political paralysis preceding the formation of the government in May 2020 and plans to hold early parliamentary elections in mid-2021 have been weighing on political support for reforms. Risks of social unrest, geopolitical tensions, and insecurity remain elevated. Mode of access: Internet International Agreements and Observance imf International Organizations imf Monetary Policy imf Iraq imf IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2021/038 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2021/038/002.2021.issue-038-en.xml IMF e-Library