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UN Concern over Deteriorating Situation of Civilians in Raqqa

A displaced Syrian boy who fled the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa stands near a fence during a sandstorm at a temporary camp in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa on May 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN
A displaced Syrian boy who fled the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa stands near a fence during a sandstorm at a temporary camp in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa on May 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN
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UN Concern over Deteriorating Situation of Civilians in Raqqa

A displaced Syrian boy who fled the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa stands near a fence during a sandstorm at a temporary camp in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa on May 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN
A displaced Syrian boy who fled the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa stands near a fence during a sandstorm at a temporary camp in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa on May 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN

The United Nations adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng , has expressed deep concern at the deteriorating situation of civilians trapped in Syria's Raqqa.

“I am deeply disturbed by reports coming out of Raqqa of the horrendous situation faced by civilians caught up in the offensive to retake the city from ISIS,” said Dieng in a statement released by the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

International counter-ISIS coalition forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are carrying out airstrikes, and ISIS, which still controls Raqqa, is reportedly using civilians as human shields, he added.
According to the statement, up to 25,000 civilians remain trapped in Raqqa.

ISIS militants are reportedly killing those who try to escape, and coalition forces are targeting boats on the Euphrates river, which had been one of the remaining escape routes for civilians. Civilians in south of the Euphrates river are reportedly facing indiscriminate attacks by Syrian regime forces and their allies during military operations to retake the area, it said.

“The legitimate aim of retaking Raqqa must not be achieved at such a high cost to civilians,” said the Special Advisor, urging all parties to adhere to their obligations under international human rights and international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.

Reiterating calls for a humanitarian pause to spare civilian lives, Dieng warned that as the offensive to retake Raqqa reaches its final stages, the fighting is likely to intensify and increase the risks faced by civilians still trapped in the city.

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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)

The festivity of Eid al-Adha in Baghdad was overshadowed by growing political tensions, particularly over the unresolved salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region.

While Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani opted for a neutral gesture - issuing a general holiday greeting and performing Eid prayers without comment - other political leaders used the occasion to speak pointedly about the nation’s deepening challenges.

Al-Sudani attended Eid prayers at Al-Rasoul Mosque in the capital, choosing to remain silent on political matters. However, influential Shiite cleric and head of the Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali both delivered speeches that touched on the country’s fraught political and economic landscape.

Al-Hakim warned against the use of political money in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11, 2025.

Calling the vote “historic,” he emphasized the need for electoral integrity and urged political blocs to adopt a national code of conduct barring the use of illicit funds. “There is talk of a market where candidates and voters are being bought. This is corruption and betrayal of the people,” he said.

He also addressed Iraq’s perennial electricity crisis, calling for a “strategic state of emergency” to resolve the issue once and for all. “Despite changing governments and large budgets, the same problems repeat themselves,” he noted.

Al-Hakim stressed the need for governments to define clear priorities, including agriculture, water, and clean energy, and said Iraqis “deserve a dignified life that begins with stable electricity and ends with technological advancement.”

Khazali, meanwhile, focused his remarks on the Kurdistan Region salary crisis, criticizing accusations from Kurdish media that he was responsible for the federal government’s suspension of public sector salaries in the region. “It’s simply not true,” he said. “Unfortunately, salaries remain unpaid to this day.”

He stressed that despite Iraq’s wealth, the country continues to suffer from poverty and unemployment, and argued that the roots of these issues lie in the legacy of the former Ba’ath regime.

Khazali also pointed out that Kurdistan experiences higher poverty rates than the rest of Iraq, and that many Iraqi refugees abroad are from the region.

Turning to the electricity crisis, he warned this summer could be the most difficult in years, as outages are expected to worsen. “All past governments focused on increasing output but ignored the need to instill a culture of energy conservation,” he said, warning that some groups may seek to exploit the crisis to sow internal unrest.