ERBIL, Iraq — Even as Iraqi government officials deny that chemical weapons have been used in Northern Iraq, local health authorities and partners, including the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross, are working to improve preparation for any future incidents.
Their strategy aims to improve referral pathways in the short term, boost regional capacity to handle cases going forward, and build readiness into the long-term reconstruction of local health facilities, including in the city of Mosul, where the most recent probable chemical cases came from.
Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said allegations of chemical weapons use in Mosul were mistaken. “According to our information, [the Islamic State] doesn’t have the ability to use [chemical weapons], and we understand [the incident reported was caused by] an explosion of smoke and gas, not chemical weapons,” he told the audience at the American University of Iraq in Sulaymaniyah.