Saturday, June 11, 2022

Multiple problems in Iraq

Like the rest of the world, Iraq is still dealing with COVID.  But they're also dealing with a lot more.  BOL NEWS reports:

Iraq’s death toll from tick-borne diseases According to the most recent figures released Saturday by authorities battling an outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, the number of cases has risen to 27 this year.

The latest figure is a significant increase from last month’s total of 12 deaths among the 55 cases reported since the beginning of the year.

The disease, also known as Congo fever, causes severe bleeding. According to the World Health Organization, people typically contract it through contact with the blood of infected animals.


RUETIR adds, "Ministry spokesman Hamid Al-Nayef told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "there are 4 factors that helped increase the incidence of hemorrhagic fever, namely the lack of veterinary staff, the continuation of the random slaughter of animals inside cities, and the lack of attention to the cleanliness of animal barns, as well as the reduction of official working hours as part of measures to confront Corona Virus'."


 That's one problem.  Another?  Nabil al-Jurani (AP) reports, "Hundreds of protestors cut off the Basra-Baghdad high road to put pressure on the central government and the House of Representatives to provide them with full job opportunities in oil companies in their area."  Another?  There are so many.  The most pressing would be the political stalemate.  


October 10th, the country held elections.  They still have no prime minister, they still have no president.  ARAB NEWS notes, "Investments to upgrade water infrastructure have been paused and there is mounting public anger over unemployment, water shortages and soaring food prices." And they quote Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (the UN Secretary-General's special envoy in Iraq) stating that  "the streets are about to boil over."  For those who have forgotten, last fall the western press couldn't stop hailing cleric and cult leader Moqtada al-Sadr as a "kingmaker" when he was no such thing.  He's failed repeatedly to form a government.  ARAB NEWS explains:


Iraq's firebrand Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr made a high-stakes protest move Thursday by calling on the 73 lawmakers loyal to him to prepare resignation letter to end an eight-month parliamentary paralysis.

Iraqi analysts said Sadr’s waving the threat of resignation by his bloc’s MPs is characteristically evasive as he tries to avoid accusations that he is incapable of leading negotiations to form a cabinet and assuming the responsibility with which voters have entrusted him.


Julian Bechocha (RUDAW) adds, "The inability to form a government hinders the caretaker government from passing proper, long-term decisions to stabilize various sectors in the country and address broad issues that continue to have detrimental effects on the country."                                                                              

The following sites updated:




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