Sulaymaniyah

Two hospitalized as public sector hunger strike enters fifth day

SULAYMANIYAH — A hunger strike by public sector employees, primarily teachers, continued into its fifth day Sunday near the United Nations compound in Sulaymaniyah, as the health of some participants deteriorated and two required hospitalization.

Public sector employees across the Kurdistan Region have faced repeated salary delays, with their December 2024 wages still unpaid. Although officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraq’s federal government remain in talks to resolve financial disputes, no breakthroughs have been reported for a lasting solution.

One of the protesters, identified as Pakiza Hama Amin, was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe dehydration and breathing difficulties. A medical worker at the scene told 964media, “Her condition was critical. She was struggling to breathe, her chest was tight,” adding that excess fluid can accumulate in the lungs’ air sacs.

As she was taken away, Amin raised two fingers in a victory sign, shouting, “You sold everything and left us with nothing. May the suffering of this nation be on your conscience.”

She was the second person hospitalized on Sunday. Earlier, another striker, Zana Sheikh Mohammed, lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital. After receiving treatment, he insisted on returning to the protest tent.

The protesters say they have completely stopped eating, consuming only water, sugarless tea & coffee, and sleeping very little.

Saman Nader, head of Sulaymaniyah Emergency Response, visited the strike area and told 964media, “Many are weak and dizzy, but our teams are closely monitoring them and providing necessary care.” He warned, “If this continues, their health will deteriorate further and could become life-threatening.”

A medical worker assisting at the scene offered a similar assessment, telling 964media, “If they continue like this, they could enter a state of unconsciousness or coma.”

Nader emphasized that while medical teams are providing urgent care inside the protest tent, “we will forcefully transfer them to the hospital for their own safety” if their conditions worsen.