Reports
“Smuggling rings lure and enlist them, how do Iraqis turn
In November 2023, Ali Qais, 23, from the Al-Kifah district in central Baghdad, took a surprising step by traveling to Russia after receiving an invitation to study the Russian language — a requirement for admission to Russian institutes. Months earlier, Ali, who held only a middle school certificate, had contacted an Iraqi resident in Russia involved in smuggling, known as “Aboud, the Son of Iraq.” Aboud persuaded him to travel for study or immigration, saying the study invitation cost $2,300, plus $700 for the flight ticket, and promised to handle all registration, residency, and accommodation arrangements. Two other young men,…
Toxic Air, Silent Funds: Where’s the Environmental Support in Kurdistan
Rebin Fattah On a rough road stretching from the Degala district to the villages southwest of Koya district (70 km east of Erbil), hundreds of vehicles, including oil trucks, pass daily. These trucks carry oil extracted from the Taq Taq field in eastern Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Along both sides of the road, there are a few scattered trees and some houses. The residents suffer from clouds of smoke emitted by the oil fields, which pollute the air, soil, and even the water. The region encompassing the Taq Taq oil field—the first investment project contracted by the Kurdistan Regional Government…
Marginalization policies and lack of justice… The Yezidis of Sheikhan
After spending nearly four decades in Sheikhan, Hadi Dubbani (57 years old) left the country with his family, leaving the Yezidi town located north of Mosul to settle in Germany, as did dozens of his relatives. He says in a choked voice: "ISIS destroyed everything for us, it turned our lives upside down. I even left the land I never imagined I would leave. Many things pushed us to this decision: security, fear for the future, discrimination, and the absence of justice." Dubbani, who held the position of director of the Yezidi Endowment in Duhok Governorate in the Kurdistan Region…
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Ten years after the ISIS attack… Why do the Yazidis
Ten years have passed since the genocide of the Yazidis by ISIS, hundreds of conferences have been held and thousands of articles have been written, but societal ignorance of the Yazidi religion and misinformation about its adherents are still widespread, which provokes hostile attitudes towards them and rejection of their…
Power struggle in Thi Qar met with reform protests
Protests erupt in Thi Qar over unemployment, corruption, and poor services.
Shafqat Al-Amel: Basra’s biggest squatter crisis
Largest informal settlement: Shafqat Al-Amel and 100,000 land encroachments in Basra
Displaced people from Salah al-Din are banned from returning
After ten years, Maytham (50 years old), a government employee, still lives far from his home in the Yathrib area in the Balad district (85 km north of Baghdad) after being displaced following the ISIS takeover of the area in June 2014. The ISIS left nine years ago, but the…
confining weapons to the state… new era in Iraq or
Weapons spread in Iraq after the American invasion of the country and the collapse of the previous regime in April 2003, and when citizens, and later, party forces, seized the weapons stores, which began to enter every home, especially in areas with a tribal nature, Whose sons carried weapons, as…
Why Iraqi Arabs flock to Kurdistan: Security, freedom, and services
The influx of Arabs to the Kurdistan Region reflects a broader trend of seeking security, public services, and economic opportunities.
Extravagance or waste; Unraveling the culture of food waste in
Iraq addresses its food waste dilemma with cultural sensitivity, legislative measures, and community-driven recycling, aiming to reduce its annual five million ton waste.
Iraqis turn to real estate amid banking trust issues
Iraqi investors flock to real estate amid banking sector distrust, prioritizing land and property for financial security amidst militia influence.
