Authorities in Baghdad are working on measures to try to reduce the growing number of people begging on the streets of the capital.

The measures are aimed at getting the beggars off the streets and into social care homes and orphanages.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in cooperation with Interior Ministry and other local authorities has created programs to contain or eliminate what they call the begging "phenomenon."

Nidhal Majeed from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs says the plan will serve those who now have to resort to begging to earn money.

"We intend to get rid of this phenomenon of "begging." At the same time we want to serve those factions who are begging in streets. We want to help the child, the old man and woman from begging."

Many of the beggars working on the streets are women, who wear veils to hide their faces and avoid recognition.

Last year Iraqi authorities launched a wide-scale campaign to gather all beggars, mainly children and the handicapped, from the streets after police investigations indicated that some militants and terrorists were trying to recruit them to carry out suicide attacks in the capital.