Iraqi – Poverty and unemployment scourge the lives of Iraqis

Location: Baghdad – Iraq
Language: Arabic
Duration: 00:05:14
Sound: normal
Source: A24 in Baghdad
Restrictions: A24 subscribers
Date: 11/15/2022

Storyline:

Iraqi non-governmental organizations reported that in recent period the poverty rate in Iraq has increased in parallel with increase in the unemployment rate, calling on new Iraqi government, headed by Mohammed al-Sudani, for solutions that are not a “temporary fix”.

This comes after about a month of the warning Iraqi High Commission For Human Rights issued, which said that “Iraqi families do not have their daily needs in quality and quantity,” highlighting the failure of poverty alleviation strategies successive governments have pursued in the past years.

Shatha Naji, official in a non-governmental organization, told A24 the government should start building factories and institutions to employ workers and reduce unemployment and poverty rates in Iraq.

Non-governmental organizations reported that the unemployment rate rose to 14%, which is about four million people, due to increase in the value of US dollar against Iraqi dinar, lack of support for industrial and agricultural sectors, and heavy reliance on imports.

Shotlist:

• Soundbite (Hussein Fazaa – Iraqi citizen)
  “I am unemployed. I’m a sick old man with a big family. I need financial support.”
• Soundbite (Umm Ali – Iraqi citizen)
  “Living situation is very difficult. My husband is very sick and unable to work. Living conditions here are very poor.”
• Soundbite (Abdul Razzaq Khudair – Iraqi citizen)
  “I have been living here for 7 years without a salary or a job. Living conditions are very poor. I have been working freelance since the beginning of the war in Iraq, one day I get work but then go without work for days.”
• Soundbite (Adnan Muhammad – Iraqi citizen)
  “We have poor services and are deprived of the most basic needs. We have no salary, no jobs. Life is very difficult.”
• Soundbite (Shatha Naji – Official in non-governmental organization):
  “Life is now moving towards advanced and modern technology. The government should develop an urgent plan to build modern factories to employ the unemployed workforce and reduce unemployment in the country. Poverty in Iraq has become a serious problem. Every family struggles with unemployment, university graduates are without jobs. The government should develop alternative plans to reduce unemployment and poverty.”