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Iraqi Region Demands Separation from Basra

Iraqi demonstrators gather during an anti-government protest in front of the provincial building in Basra, Iraq December 14, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani
Iraqi demonstrators gather during an anti-government protest in front of the provincial building in Basra, Iraq December 14, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani
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Iraqi Region Demands Separation from Basra

Iraqi demonstrators gather during an anti-government protest in front of the provincial building in Basra, Iraq December 14, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani
Iraqi demonstrators gather during an anti-government protest in front of the provincial building in Basra, Iraq December 14, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani

The local council of Zubair district, west of Basra province, has voted unanimously to request turning the district into a province.

Council members believe the move aims at improving services and infrastructure and increasing the district’s powers.

However, a council member ruled out a decision in favor of the request, saying it comes as part of confusion taking place in general in Basra and the desire of some parties to obtain additional privileges.

Basra, the third largest province after Baghdad and Nineveh and the richest in terms of oil wealth, has been suffering for many years from lack of services, unemployment and poor infrastructure.

These circumstances have prompted citizens to demonstrate on a regular basis, especially with the beginning of summer and the rise in temperatures.

Poverty has also led to growing demands to either turn the district into a province or separate from Basra and become an independent province as is the case with the latest step taken by the district’s local council.

Authorities in Zubair stressed in a statement during a conference held on Monday for this purpose, the need to raise the district’s administrative level into a province upon popular demands and in line of Iraq’s laws.

A number of elders and dignitaries from the district participated in the conference.

The statement revealed that the local council made on Saturday an official request to the local and central governments, within the legal context, to raise the level of services, and improve construction projects and infrastructure.

“The population in Zubair district has exceeded one million people, and needs to develop,” the statement said.

Demands to turn the district into a province comes as part of the growing state of confusion and lack of prioritization in the country in general and Basra in particular, member of Basra Provincial Council Juma al-Zuwaini told Asharq Al-Awsat, saying the latest step taken by Zubair district will most likely fail.

He also accused the Basra Council of acting according to a partisan and sectarian agenda, noting that the problem lies in mismanagement and corruption and not in the administrative transfer of the region from a district to a province.

Zuwaini explained that Basra Province’s Council has the power to turn the administrative units into districts, but the transition into a province is the prerogative of the federal government.

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Experts Warn Floods to Continue to Impact Humanitarian Situation in Yemen

Yemen receives high levels of rainfall annually (AFP)
Yemen receives high levels of rainfall annually (AFP)
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Experts Warn Floods to Continue to Impact Humanitarian Situation in Yemen

Yemen receives high levels of rainfall annually (AFP)
Yemen receives high levels of rainfall annually (AFP)

Although Yemen's rainy season nears its end, experts on Thursday warned of heavy showers in several areas across the country, nevertheless with a decrease in their frequency and intensity.

Heavy downpours in war-torn Yemen over the past weeks have triggered flash flooding and landslides, causing significant casualties and damages in properties and infrastructure.

On Tuesday, experts and meteorology centers forecast scattered rains on the easternmost province of Mahra, the western highlands in the provinces of Taiz, Ibb, Lahj, Rayma, Dhamar, Sanaa, Al Mahwit, Amran, Hajjah and Saada, as well as the western coast in the provinces of Hajjah, Hodeidah and Taiz, and the plains in the provinces of Abyan, Shabwa and Hadramaut.

In forecasts posted on social media, the experts warned of thunderclouds carrying huge amounts of rain, accompanied by hail, thunder and strong winds, urging residents to take the necessary precautions.

Since early this month, Yemen has witnessed a drop in rainfall. In July and August, Yemen experienced severe flooding due to prolonged heavy rainfall, fueled by unusual weather patterns. Numerous governorates across the nation were impacted, especially the governorates of Hodeidah and Al Mahwit.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) this week warned of a deepening humanitarian disaster in Yemen as ongoing floods, which began in March and intensified in July and August, continue to devastate multiple governorates.

The floods have displaced tens of thousands of families, destroyed vital infrastructure, and fueled the rapid spread of cholera.

Floods have severely impacted the governorates of Hodeidah, Hajjah, Marib, Saada, and Taiz, with nearly 268,000 individuals affected as of last month.

IRC warned that while rainfall has stopped in September, the risk of additional flash floods remains high due to already saturated ground and poor drainage systems.

Severe Impact of Floods

IRC said that floods have severely impacted the governorates of Hodeidah, Hajjah, Marib, Sadah, and Taiz, with nearly 268,000 individuals (38,285 families) affected as of last month, according to OCHA reports.

It said the heavy rains, expected to persist into September, have caused widespread destruction of homes, agricultural land, and infrastructure, further limiting access to food - an issue that more than 17 million Yemenis are already struggling with due to conflict, economic decline, and rising food prices, all exacerbated by the climate crisis.

In Taiz alone, an estimated 70 to 100% of agricultural land has been destroyed. While rainfall has stopped in September, the risk of additional flash floods remains high due to already saturated ground and poor drainage systems.

The IRC urgently called on the international community to scale up financial and logistical support to meet the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by this disaster. Without timely action, the situation in Yemen will continue to deteriorate, putting more lives at risk, it warned.

Rapid Spread of Cholera

“Yemen is facing a crisis on multiple fronts—ongoing conflict, severe flooding, and now a cholera outbreak that has been rapidly spreading across several governorates,” IRC’s Acting Country Director in Yemen, Isaiah Ogolla, said.

Ogolla said people’s lives are at immediate risk, and the destruction of water and sanitation facilities is likely to worsen the spread of the disease.

“In response, the IRC is launching emergency operations in the hardest-hit districts of Hajjah, Hodeidah, Al-Mahwit and Taiz, providing cash assistance to approximately 2,000 affected households,” he said.

The IRC acting country director noted that the initial phase will focus on addressing immediate needs, with further assessments planned to guide potential interventions in water and sanitation, such as establishing water points and emergency latrines.

Ogolla said the IRC and its partners have conducted assessments across the affected areas, revealing that nearly 9,600 people have been displaced due to the floods in Taiz, Hajjah, and Hodeidah.

The floodwaters have severely damaged water, sanitation, and health infrastructure, increasing the risk of further cholera outbreaks across these regions.

On Tuesday, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KsRelief) distributed emergency shelter aids to those affected by torrents and floods in the Mawza district of Taiz Governorate.

The emergency aid included 100 tents and 370 shelter bags, benefiting 2,220 individuals affected by floods.