Iraq - High Frequency Phone Survey 2020-2021

The spread of COVID-19 and government-imposed social distancing practices across the globe has severely limited the use of traditional, face-to-face interviews. Phone surveys, on the other hand, do not require face-to-face interactions and could elicit information from individuals, households rapidly and at low cost. These platforms also offer flexibility to alter sampling and/or questionnaire design in response to evolving needs. The objective of this survey is to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and the economic downturn on Iraqi individuals and households, and consequently better inform government mitigation policies – in the short- and medium-run. The short and repeated household phone-survey collected information on key indicators such as employment, food insecurity, subjective wellbeing and access to market, healthcare, and education to identify the most vulnerable groups and assess their needs. The phone survey was implemented on a monthly basis to monitor changes over time.