Iraq: Humanitarian Bulletin, February 2021 Format • Inter-agency Missions to Return Areas • Cash Programming in Iraq • Access Snapshot February 2021 One Year On, COVID-19 Continues to Impact Iraq The first case of COVID-19 in Iraq was detected in late February 2020, attributed to a student who recently returned from Iran. Despite the imposition of strict lockdowns, within a few months the country reached the “community transmission” stage. By the end of February 2021, there were approximately 695,000 of COVID-19 in Iraq, resulting in just over 13,000 reported deaths. While the transmission and fatality rate in Iraq is relatively low, especially in comparison with other countries in the region, COVID-19 has had significantly adverse socio-economic and cultural impacts in the country, including for vulnerable groups targeted by the Humanitarian Response Plan. Several assessments have been carried out to measure these impacts; one which focuses on IDPs and returnees is highlighted here.