Kurdistan's political, business leaders donate to support anti-coronavirus efforts

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Tuesday that multiple local business leaders and individuals have responded to a challenge by the Kurdistan Region's top official to financially support efforts to combat the coronavirus and assist low-income families affected by measures enacted to curb its contagion.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Tuesday that multiple local business leaders and individuals have responded to a challenge by the Kurdistan Region's top official to financially support efforts to combat the coronavirus and assist low-income families affected by measures enacted to curb its contagion.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani released a statement in which he urged government officials, merchants, and others with substantial resources to use their means for the public good, including personal donations and for landlords to bear financial losses to reduce the burden on small businesses.

In response to Barzani’s request, several people from both the private and public sectors stepped up to meet the challenge, joining Barzani who donated his own government salary to the cause.

In Erbil, the owner of Shar Private Hospital announced that he will be repurposing the facility to be used to treat patients diagnosed with coronavirus and several individuals provided financial support to build new hospitals to treat patients in both Erbil and Sulaimani, where the new building will be turned over to the Ministry of Health when complete.

The owner of Mega Mall pledged to cancel all rent payments for March owed by his roughly 150 tenants and a local Erbil businessman donated 10,000 liters of fuel to security (Asayish) and police in Erbil to support them in their various duties, including enforcing curfews in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces. The Rwanga Foundation also began a campaign to provide hot meals for Erbil security forces.

Doctors and volunteers from various professions from all over the Kurdistan Region have been chipping in for days or weeks.

“Masrour Barzani sincerely thanks all those who participated in the fundraising campaign in support of the efforts to combat the coronavirus and assist families with low income,” read another statement.  

“On this basis, the Prime Minister decided to donate his salary and financial dues to support preventive measures and efforts to combat the coronavirus, as well as assisting vulnerable families.” 

The KRG has been one of the governments in the region and the world that began enacting precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease early on, as it became clear that it was likely on its way to becoming a pandemic. Measures have included temporarily closing schools, declaring extended public holidays for government workers, canceling all religious services, and announcing a temporary curfew in the provinces of Erbil and Sulaimani. 

Read More: KRG extends curfew by 72 hours as authorities report more coronavirus cases 

Iraq’s Ministry of Health and Environment said that its laboratories have conducted 96 new tests and showed positive results for 22 patients, recording the highest rate of infections recorded in one day in the country, 17 in Baghdad, three in Karbala, and one in Basra. It also announced a new death in Wasit province.

According to a ministry statement, the new cases have brought the total number to 154 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths and 41 recoveries. 

Editing by John J. Catherine