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Protests in the forest have erupted with power outages in the heat of Iraq Business and Economic News

Basra, Iraq – When the summer temperature reached an alarming level, hundreds of Iraqis poured into the streets in Baghdad and the southern provinces of the country to denounce widespread power outages.

In the oil-rich city of Basra, protesters blocked highways and burned tires last week to address the local government’s chronic cuts in electricity pressure and poor public services.

Forest temperatures rose above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) at noon. Iraqi authorities responded by reducing the working day to less than five, citing extreme heat.

The power outage has sparked regular protests, especially in southern Iraq, where successive governments have failed to address the recurring issue in recent years.

Power outages, lack of services and intense corruption were also among the main causes of the massive protests against protests that took place in 2019 in Baghdad and Iraq, especially in southern Shiite.

While hundreds of people were killed and thousands injured in the protest movement, few requests were met in March 2020 due to the widespread spread of coronavirus before the violent end of the demonstrations.

“Electricity is a basic need. Its scarcity is a violation of many human rights, including the right to health, safe housing, education and more, ”said Ali al-Bayati, a member of the Iraqi High Commission on Human Rights.

Demonstrators carry national flags and placards displaying protesters killed in previous demonstrations in Basra, Iraq [File: Nabil al-Jurani/AP]

‘Fundamental right’

In a recent protest, protesters in the Forest shouted “No, not to corruption” and “All parties are liars” as they promised to scale if the government did not take action.

“We are suffering just like in 2018, 2019 and 2020. There is a lack of service, poor infrastructure and constant power cuts,” Abdelkarim Ahmed, a 25-year-old from the forest, told Al Jazeera.

“That is why we urge the authorities here to address our grievances and give them our basic right,” he added.

In recent weeks, dozens of protesters have gathered in front of the main electricity company in Basora Tawaisa district to demand better services.

Basa Governor warned in a televised appearance to Asaad al-Eidani last week that he would isolate the Basra power plant from the rest of Iraq if the central government does not resolve the crisis.

Ahmed threatened that if the government becomes “deaf” the people of the Forest will hold a mass protest.

“We just want electricity. It’s a simple thing that the corrupt political class hasn’t addressed since 2003, ”he said.

Ahmed’s friend and protester, Abbas Hassoun, 24, told Al Jazeera that only six hours of electricity a day reach his family’s home, where 16 people live, including his sick father and small children.

“It simply came to our notice then. The government needs to come up with a long-term strategy for this. The forest has a lot of money but it is not used for the local people, ”Hassoun said.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the general company on June 30 to distribute electricity in southern Basra [Azhar Al-Rubaie/Al Jazeera]

Cool

To escape the power outage at home, Sami Mohsin, 38, said he usually drives his children in the car during the wee hours of the afternoon.

“Sometimes the car is the only source of air conditioning, but it is expensive and damages the engine. I spent $ 200 to fix it recently, ”Mohsin said, explaining that although he pays for a generator, it is enough to supply lights and fans.

“Some people are moving out of Iraq to escape this summer, but I can’t afford it,” he added.

When many young people in Iraq are unemployed or earning low wages, the only source of relief in the heat of summer is directed to the banks of the Shatt al-Arab River, where they gather to cool off.

“I don’t have a job and I can’t pay 10,000 Iraqi dinars ($ 6.85) to get into the private pool. So I come to Shatt al-Arab every day to take a bath and spend time with friends, ”said Mohammed Ali while sitting on the river.

“I hope [the government] it can build sports facilities including swimming pools. We should have free access because we live in the hottest city in Iraq. Unfortunately, the country’s wealth is being wasted. “

Iraqis jump to Shatt al-Arab in Basra to cool off from the summer heat [Azhar Al-Rubaie/Al Jazeera]

The reasons below

According to former Iraqi Electricity Minister Luay al-Khateeb, the reasons for Iraq’s power outages are varied and complex.

“When it comes to developing the energy sector, the most important thing is not to increase energy generation,” Al-Khateeb told Al Jazeera. “Transmission, distribution, fuel supplies, maintenance and management cost more and most importantly.”

Between 2005 and 2020, Iraq spent about $ 75 billion on investment and operating costs in the sector, which improved the country’s electricity grid capacity to 30GW, Al-Khateeb said.

There was significant development in the summer of 2019 compared to the peak capacity of around 20GW, he explained that these limitations led to ISIL directing power lines and affecting Iraq’s power capacity.

Al-Khateeb said, however, that Iraq’s aging energy distribution network needs to make major investments to meet the needs of the growing population. He also stressed that previous governments had not implemented a long-term strategy for gas production, “instead of being trapped in Iraq’s oil fields, natural gas was turned on.”

“Household electricity is still subsidized by the government, which has led to a lack of funding for critical maintenance and expansion,” al-Khateeb said.

“Political instability has hampered significant reform in the Iraqi power sector, despite the government accepting recommendations from groups like the World Bank,” he added.

Mohammed Ali swimming with his friend Shatt al-Arab [Azhar Al-Rubaie/Al Jazeera]

Iranian fuel cuts

Earlier this month, the money squeezed out by Iran reduced electricity exports to Iraq to put pressure on Baghdad to release power payments after falling into delays.

Countries that export Iranian fuel to Iraq could account for nearly a third of the country’s supply during the summer months. Demonstration calls sparked fears of violent protests entering the Forest in 2018, and Iran has joined power cuts due to unpaid problems.

Developments came ahead of the October 10 scheduled federal elections, and when Iraqi Electricity Minister Majed Hantushh resigned, citing popular pressure.

“The resigning electricity minister lacked a strong vision and leadership,” energy and water expert Harry Istepanian, of Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera.

Hantoush stated that he had left the day after the famous Shiite clergyman Muqtada Sadr asked him to resign.

“This shows an increase in political influence in decision-making organizations. The electricity portfolio is polluted by politicians and will remain unresolved until these interferences end, ”Istepanian said.

“There is no immediate solution to sustainable electricity demand at least in the short term.”

The federal budget for the Ministry of Electricity is about 17 trillion dinars ($ 11 billion), but 85 percent was earmarked for the operation and maintenance of existing power plants, he said.

“While the recovery of fuel supply from Iran seems to be the only possible chance of achieving acute fuel shortages,” Istepanian concluded.

Abdulkareem Ahmed, 25, is protesting in Basra for ongoing power cuts [Azhar Al-Rubaie/Al Jazeera]




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