A group of 40 UN Volunteers belonging to local communities was deployed by WFP in Iraq’s Duhok Governorate, which is located in the Kurdistan Region. In line with the Public Distribution System reform agenda, this group served alongside field enumerators to register Duhok residents. Serving tirelessly for three months, volunteers supported the registration of the newly issued PDS cards and also updated the residents' demographic information in the system - between 50 to 100 family registrations were carried out daily. Volunteers did so by using digital tablets.

This project includes an effective blend of volunteer involving strategies with community volunteers, and national and international UN Volunteers. 

A large part of being a volunteer is that you have ownership of your solutions – that's the story of Hajara Maimuna Idi, a community volunteer in Borno State, northeast Nigeria.

Volunteering is not just about responding to an immediate crisis. It's also about making sure the affected population is well on its way, sustaining itself.

Some volunteers load trucks with medical masks and hygiene items. Others rush to distribute printed handouts which outline basic hygiene principles to use in the face of COVID-19. Many more sit in front of their laptops and phones at home, reaching out to households in remote and affected areas, and assisting health and social workers who disseminate handouts.