Power Outages Hit Iraq Amid Scorching Heat

FILE PHOTO: An electrician works on an electric switchboard of a local generator in Baghdad, December 13, 2011. REUTERS/Saad Shalash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An electrician works on an electric switchboard of a local generator in Baghdad, December 13, 2011. REUTERS/Saad Shalash/File Photo
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Power Outages Hit Iraq Amid Scorching Heat

FILE PHOTO: An electrician works on an electric switchboard of a local generator in Baghdad, December 13, 2011. REUTERS/Saad Shalash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An electrician works on an electric switchboard of a local generator in Baghdad, December 13, 2011. REUTERS/Saad Shalash/File Photo

A widespread power outage hit Iraq on Friday as temperatures reached scorching levels, affecting millions of Iraqis.

Iraq's grid was generating just over 4,000 Megawatts according to Ministry of Electricity data on Friday morning, less than the 20,000 MW the grid generates on average. The cuts have impacted Baghdad and southern provinces in particular.

Local channels reported that the outage was due to the cutting of a major power line — known as a 400 KV — between Baghdad and the southern province of Babylon.

A ministry official said the reason was not immediately known, but that it could have been because the line was overloaded, or an act of sabotage. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

Total shutdowns can occur when Iraq's electricity network is working at maximum capacity. Defects in the transmission network and distribution capacity also contribute to outages. High temperatures can also impact the distribution lines.

Temperatures in Baghdad and other governorates have been soaring above 48 degrees Celsius in recent days. The government declared an official holiday in Baghdad on Thursday due to the scorching heatwave.

The last time a nation-wide outage was seen was five years ago.

The outage struck wealthier neighborhoods of Baghdad, where some residents typically enjoy 24 hours of electricity. Water pumps, which rely on electricity, stopped working in many areas, impeding access to water.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, said the breakdown in Iraq's electricity grid leaves millions without the power they need to cope with extreme temperatures.

“We need to address the resilience of systems in a heating world, but today we must focus on averting a humanitarian catastrophe amplified by insecure energy supply,” he tweeted.



US Says Israel Must Improve Gaza's Humanitarian Situation or Risk Aid

 People attempt to extinguish a fire at the site of an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
People attempt to extinguish a fire at the site of an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
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US Says Israel Must Improve Gaza's Humanitarian Situation or Risk Aid

 People attempt to extinguish a fire at the site of an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
People attempt to extinguish a fire at the site of an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Israel must take urgent steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza to avoid legal action involving US military aid, according to news reports on Tuesday.

"We are writing now to underscore the US government's deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and seek urgent and sustained actions by your government this month to reverse this trajectory," they wrote in an Oct. 13 letter to their Israeli counterparts, posted by an Axios reporter on X, according to Reuters.

The State Department and Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Israel's government also could not be immediately reached for comment.

The report comes as Israeli forces expand operations into northern Gaza amid ongoing concerns about access to humanitarian aid throughout the enclave and civilians' access to food, water and medicine.

US officials earlier this year said Israel may have violated international humanitarian law using US-supplied weapons during its military operation in Gaza.

This week's letter cited Section 620i of the Foreign Assistance Act, which restricts (prohibits) military aid to countries that impede delivery of US humanitarian assistance.

It also cited a National Security Memorandum that US President Joe Biden issued in February that requires the State Department to report to Congress on whether it finds credible Israel's assurances that its use of US weapons does not violate US or international law.