Iraq witnesses a sharp increase in poverty

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Nine million Iraqis are living below the poverty line, as the number of unemployed people in Iraq reached four million, a rights group announced.

Out of Iraq’s 40 million population, nine million are suffering extreme poverty, which makes up 25% of the total population, Hazem Al-Rudaini, the head of the Human Rights Center said in a statement.

The unemployment rate in Iraq unexpectedly rose this year, reaching up to 14 percent, Al-Rudaini added.

The devaluation of the Iraqi currency, removal of subsidies on the industrial and agricultural sectors, and plenty of imported inputs are among the factors behind the growing number of unemployment, the official said.

The Iraqi government needs to take quick action to resolve the underlying causes of poverty.

Endemic corruption and weak state insinuations are usually blamed for Iraq’s ongoing crisis that had fueled violent demonstrations as well as instability.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced on Tuesday that it had pocketed over nine billion US in oil sales for the month of October.