Iraq’s parliament Wednesday passed emergency legislation that will allow the government to use public funds for urgent food security and development needs, as the country has faced a political deadlock since October of last year that has left Iraq without a formal budget.
The bill, titled the “Emergency Law for Food Security and Development,” allocates 25 trillion Iraqi dinar (or about $17 billion), for staple food supplies, gas and electricity, as well as payment of public servant salaries.
