Iraq’s crisis response faces mounting pressure from security and natural disasters

Shafaq News 

From political tensions and security threats to regional instability and natural disasters, recurring crises continue to measure Iraq’s ability to protect its people, sustain essential services, and prepare effectively for emergencies.

Each new emergency puts the government’s crisis management committees, operations rooms, and field response centers into focus, highlighting whether these institutions can anticipate and prepare for crises or remain largely focused on responding after damage has occurred.

Political Divisions

Strategic expert Ahmed Al-Sharifi supports forming crisis management committees, describing them as an established mechanism in democratic countries for addressing military, security, economic, and natural disaster challenges. However, he stressed that their success depends on unified state policies and political consensus over the management of strategic issues.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Al-Sharifi claimed that “Iraq lacks a common political foundation among the forces and entities participating in state administration,” resulting in divergent programs, visions and approaches to handling crises, particularly regional ones.

He cited tensions between the United States and Iran, which have exposed conflicting positions within Iraq's political system. Some political forces consider Washington a strategic ally, while others view it as an occupying power and call for confrontation. Some also support the "resistance" using state resources, he added.

This contradiction affects not only political positions but also the performance of crisis management committees themselves, Al-Sharifi said, explaining that this leads to divergent visions and approaches that limit their ability to deliver a unified response that can reassure public opinion.

Al-Sharifi cited Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's visit to Tehran last Friday as an example of the complexities involved in managing regional crises. “A diplomatic engagement on an issue of this magnitude should have been based on political and public authorization, alongside a unified vision conveying Iraq's position to the Iranian side,” he said, criticizing the “absence of a clear, unified political position, a factor, he argued, that undermines public confidence in government initiatives.”

He added that managing risks facing Iraq, including the possibility of attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, requires a shared national position and a clear plan to address potential consequences. 

Read more: Nuclear strike on Iran: how exposed is Iraq?

Institutional Preparedness

Regarding natural disasters, Sarmad Saeed Al-Badri, director of the relations and media department at Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights, said disaster management is directly linked to human rights, particularly the right to life and economic and social rights.

“Preparedness is a fundamental responsibility of state institutions,” he affirmed.

In an interview with Shafaq News, Al-Badri stressed that emergency plans cannot be developed within days or after a crisis begins. Instead, he indicated, they require years of planning, specialized committees, and trained teams, including volunteers.

He said the commission he represents is a member of the National Commission for Disasters and Crises, chaired by the Interior Ministry. Its role includes training personnel, participating in emergency responses, monitoring developments and documenting violations and observations.

He recalled the successive crises Iraq has experienced, from security challenges following 2003 to waves of displacement, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate-related disasters, including droughts and floods, noting that the consequences extend beyond casualties to damage to public and private property and violations of citizens' fundamental rights.

Floods Expose Response Challenges

The floods that struck Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), last Saturday provided a recent example of the challenges posed by natural disasters.

At least two people died, while civil defense, police, and municipal teams evacuated more than 300 people trapped inside their homes and vehicles or on building rooftops. Floodwaters inundated residential neighborhoods and major roads, disrupting traffic and causing material damage.

Iraq’s National Center for Crisis and Disaster Management opened a control headquarters in Tuz Khurmatu after flooding disrupted the district’s ring road.

“Such disasters require extensive coordination among security and service institutions, the army, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), volunteer teams and local governments,” al-Badri said. However, he questioned whether these efforts were sufficiently integrated to move beyond immediate emergency responses and establish a sustainable system for preparedness and prevention.

Every province should have a specialized crisis management committee ready to intervene during emergencies, with trained personnel across ministries and public institutions, he urged.

Preparedness should also include emergency medical teams, trained healthcare personnel, medical supplies, and relief equipment, Al-Badri said, adding that authorities must establish contingency plans for potential displacement, migration and service disruptions, while securing important documents, records, data and public and private property.  

Read more: Iraq’s fire risk landscape at the start of 2026

Protecting Citizens' Basic Needs

Nisan Al-Zayer, a former member of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee, said state security cannot be separated from public security, arguing that protecting sovereignty and implementing security plans “lose part of their meaning if citizens remain worried about their daily livelihoods and basic needs.”

Al-Zayer told Shafaq News that the government's responsibilities extend beyond issuing reassuring statements to include comprehensive emergency plans, adequate strategic reserves, and economic and service alternatives capable of ensuring the continuity of essential supplies regardless of how long a crisis lasts.

She called for clear mechanisms to prevent monopolies and price manipulation and to guarantee the continued availability of food, medicine, fuel, electricity, and salaries.

Al-Zayer also warned that exceptional circumstances should not become a justification for undermining constitutional rights or violating citizens' dignity and freedoms. 

Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.