Funding lagging
Koya residents voice concerns over lack of essential services
KOYA — Residents of the Nawdaran neighborhood in the Koya district of Erbil are voicing concerns over the absence of essential services such as schools and hospitals. Despite numerous appeals to local education and health authorities over the last decade, their pleas remain unaddressed.
Nawdaran, which houses over 300 families, lies approximately two kilometers outside Koya, on the route to the area’s villages.
Shahen Osman, the Director of Education in Koya, expressed ongoing frustrations to 964media, stating, “For the past four years, we have conveyed these concerns to the Ministry through the villagers.” Although the Minister of Education announced plans for a school, construction has yet to commence. “Together with the Koya qaymaqam, we have visited the neighborhood and identified a site for the school. We are now awaiting the ministry’s approval,” Osman added.
Wshyar Sattar, a spokesperson for the Koya Health Department, noted a similar delay in health services development. “In 2018, we identified a site near Nawdaran for a health center,” Sattar told 964media. “We have informed the Ministry of Health, but no decision has been made yet due to the government’s financial constraints.”
The Kurdistan Region has been grappling with a severe financial crisis, fueled by budget disputes with Baghdad, conflict with the Islamic State, and internal issues such as corruption and mismanagement. The crisis worsened after Iraq won a legal case in 2023 against the Kurdistan Regional Government over oil exports, leading to halted exports through Turkey and deepening the financial woes.
Residents have also called for the establishment of a daycare, playground, and park, but these needs have gone unmet.
Koya District, located about 70 kilometers east of Erbil, is not the only area experiencing service-related frustrations. Across Iraq, similar grievances are emerging. Last week, residents of Al-Mahnawiyah district in Diwaniyah protested, demanding basic services and the ouster of their local qaymaqam. Diwaniyah has witnessed over 50 protests since the start of summer, the most in the country, driven by service shortages, project delays, and corruption.
In northern Basra, residents of Nahr Al-Az protested on July 21 against severe service deficiencies, urging immediate government action.
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