No public events in Erbil to celebrate New Year: Governor

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – There will be no public celebrations for the New Year in Erbil Province due to the Islamic State (IS) war and financial crisis, the Governor said on Saturday.

In an interview with Kurdistan24, Erbil Governor Nawzad Hadi said the governorate would not hold any public celebrations regarding the New Year.

“The Kurdistan Region is still at war against [IS] and also suffers from a financial crisis,” Hadi added. “Therefore, we won’t hold any public celebrations.”

He noted the decision was also related to the current situation in the Region as well as respect for the families of the “martyred” Peshmerga who fought IS in the past years.

“Police and security forces have made security measures to ensure the safety of people in the region,” the Governor explained.  

Moreover, Hadi acknowledged the private sector was free to hold any events related to the New Year.

Previously, the Mayor of the Christian-populated district of Ankawa in Erbil highlighted to Kurdistan24 they would not hold any Christmas and New Year events due to the reasons mentioned above.

As the security of Iraq is in turmoil, several people fled to the Kurdistan Region to celebrate and spend good times with family during New Year’s Eve.

Kurdistan is home to over 1.8 million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who escaped the threat of IS from Syria and other parts of Iraq.

Since the IS war began in June 2014, over 1,600 Peshmerga have fallen, and about 10,000 injured, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government Peshmerga Ministry.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany