Erbil census director hails "highly successful" operation, rules out extension
"What we witnessed on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, was truly encouraging. Citizens were fully prepared to receive our enumerators, reflecting the high level of public awareness about the census's importance," the General Director stated.
Nov. 21, 2024
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The General Director of Statistics in Erbil has described the ongoing population census as "highly successful" and ruled out any possibility of extending the registration deadline.
In an exclusive interview with Kurdistan 24, Dr. Dilzar Hama Salih, General Director of Statistics in Erbil, expressed satisfaction with the first day's proceedings.
"What we witnessed on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, was truly encouraging. Citizens were fully prepared to receive our enumerators, reflecting the high level of public awareness about the census's importance."
The census operation, which began on Wednesday in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Article 140 areas, will continue until midnight Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Dr. Salih noted that citizens have voluntarily complied with the movement restrictions without the need for security measures.
"I urge citizens to remain at home and cooperate with our teams, as the registration system will close at midnight with no possibility of extension," Dr. Salih emphasized.
Regarding the next phase, Dr. Salih explained that starting Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, the final stage of the census will commence and continue until Dec.10, 2024. During this phase, households will respond to 77 detailed questions about their living conditions.
However, Dr. Salih indicated that the announcement of final results might face some delays due to considerations related to Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Region's administration.