Poverty rises to 30 percent in Iraq: Planning Ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Poverty in Iraq has increased to 30 percent and unemployment to 20 percent, said an Iraqi official on Monday.

The Iraqi Minister of Planning Salman Ali al-Jumaili released a statement on his official Facebook account revealing the rate of poverty had increased to 30 percent in the country compared to previous months.

According to Jumaili, the high rate of poverty was related to the current economic and security situation in the region.

Iraq currently suffers from political, economic, and security turmoil that has largely affected the livelihood of people in the country.

The Minister also mentioned the unemployment rate had increased to 20 percent, claiming many investing projects were halted due to the crisis in the country.

Additionally, the Iraqi Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ammar Mon’am stated the increase in poverty and unemployment was related to the presence of the Islamic State (IS).

Mon’am explained the insurgent group’s emergence in some parts of Iraq led to the halt of many projects due to the security concerns and displacement of several employees.

Over 95 percent of Iraqi revenue comes from oil.

Since 2014, the country faced a significant deficit in revenue due to the international drop of oil prices.

Moreover, the emergence of IS led to a large portion of income being spent on security and military affairs.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi and Peshmerga forces launched the military operation to liberate Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, from IS.

The forces continue their advance as the offensive is ongoing.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany