Rooted in Trust (RiT) is a USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs (BHA)-funded project by
Internews that aims at countering the unprecedented scale and speed of the spread of
rumors and misinformation on COVID-19 health response and COVID-19 vaccines among
vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crisis.

In Iraq, Rooted in Trust works with media, community-based organizations, and health
and humanitarian actors to build a healthier information ecosystem that is responsive to
the needs of internally displaced populations in northern Iraq, with the goal of disrupting
and mitigating the flow of misleading and inaccurate information.

About This Bulletin

This bulletin provides humanitarian and health partners with the latest rumor data identified among internally displaced populations in northern Iraq. The aim is to guide and inform risk communication and
community engagement efforts within the COVID-19 response.

It profiles common rumors across social media in Iraq during February 2022. In total, 148 rumors have been collected. They have been categorized as 12 high-risk, 112 medium-risk, and 24 low-risk levels. Data were collected through various pages, groups, and accounts that have significant user engagement from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms.