Iraq experiences power cuts amid heatwave

The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity has announced that several provinces in Iraq have been hit by power cuts, as temperatures reached scorching levels, according to The National.

According to a Ministry of Electricity official, the power outages occurred as temperatures rose to at least 48°C and technical failures hindered power plants. 

Iraq is currently struggling to meet its own increasing demand for electricity despite the fact that it is Opec’s second-biggest producer. This is due to the country’s mismanagement, corruption, and decades spent in war. Baghdad has spent a minimum of $60 billion on the electricity sector since the invasion of Iraq that was led by the US in 2003, as stated in 2020 by the former Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi.

Many areas have experienced increased temperatures, reaching over 50°C in some provinces. Several residents have had to deal with this through swimming in rivers in order to combat the heat and cool off. Iraq is currently experiencing its worst drought in decades.

The water crisis has been worsened substantially by water diversion projects in Turkey and Iran, as well as the construction of dams. But years of conflict has left Iraq with a lack of water, damaged infrastructure, and inefficient distribution.

Iraqi citizens have called on the government to address the water problem, as more than 300 demonstrators took to the streets on July 25th near the city of Hilla. The lack of water has also particularly affected women in Iraq, as many have felt pressured to secure water in order to take care of their families and their households.

The National, Maghrebi.org