Diwaniyah residents decry service shortages: "We're living in the Middle Ages"

Neighborhoods in Diwaniyah suffer from a lack of potable water, inadequate sewage systems, damaged and unpaved roads, and the absence of basic infrastructure and services.

A neighborhood in Diwaniyah province. (Photo submitted to Kurdistan24)
A neighborhood in Diwaniyah province. (Photo submitted to Kurdistan24)

Jan. 17, 2025

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Residents of the Taqiya neighborhood in Iraq’s Diwaniyah province staged protests on Friday against the lack of essential public services, including water, electricity, sanitation, and paved roads, along with other vital needs.

Protesters called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to direct the local government to fulfill its obligations. 

They also demanded a review of a contract awarded to a single contractor responsible for 42 neighborhoods in the province. Protesters urged that the contract be split among multiple contractors to accelerate the implementation of service projects.

The residents emphasized that their neighborhood suffers from a lack of potable water, inadequate sewage systems, and damaged, unpaved roads. 

They also highlighted the general absence of basic infrastructure and services.

The situation in Diwaniyah reflects a broader crisis affecting Iraq’s central and southern provinces, predominantly Shiite regions, where deteriorating public services—particularly electricity—high unemployment rates, and crumbling infrastructure have created dire living conditions for residents.