PM Masrour Barzani to form ad hoc committee to follow up on Kifri protests

He pledged to "serve" the people of the area in every way possible.

Kurdistan 24 2023/07/16 13:09

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani speaking at a conference in Erbil, marking the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, June 18, 2023. (Photo: KRG)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday announced that he would form an ad hoc committee to follow up on the protestors' demands in the Kifri district.

"I have received your demands and I am aware of them," Barzani said in a tweet, adding that a committee, consisting of members of the Council of Ministers and Ministry of Interior, will be formed to follow up on the demands, including better service provision and employment, among other demands.

He pledged to "serve" the people of the area in every way possible.

"I will stand by you in a Garmiyani spirit," Barzani said, referring to the strong-willed people of the area, known as Garmiyan.

Kifri residents in Garmiyan Administration have been protesting for five days, demanding employment for the district's large youth population as well as better service provision.

KRG PM Barzani has often discussed the hardships faced by his administration, specifically the fallout from the War on ISIS and the group's lingering presence in Iraq, in addition to the difficulty of reorganizing the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. Exacerbating these issues is the Kurdistan Region's continuing assistance to millions of displaced refugees.

In April 2023, the Iraqi Council of Ministers announced that the total number of unemployed Iraqis tallied 1.5 million.

Unemployment is not a new issue in the Kurdistan Region. Prior to the formation of PM Barzani's cabinet in June 2019, a survey in Sept. 2018 compiled by the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO) and international organizations suggested that more than 20 percent of those between 18 and 34 were outside of the workforce and are often reported to have lost hope of finding gainful employment.

In 2018, just over 40 percent of the Region’s population aged between 15 and 64 was listed as an active part of the public sector labor force.

“The information in this survey establishes a reference base for future statistical studies, and will assist the Kurdistan Regional Government with better planning and allocation of resources,” said Minister of Planning Ali Sindi at the time.