Sulaymaniyah hunger strikers refuse to end protest as health deteriorates

SULAYMANIYAH — Protesters in Sulaymaniyah have entered the 12th day of a hunger strike, pledging to continue despite worsening health and repeated collapses from exhaustion. Thirteen public employees have set up a “Dignity Tent” near the United Nations compound, demanding on-time salary disbursements, a shift of civil service salaries to state-owned federal banks, and the restoration of suspended promotions.

On Friday, some demonstrators briefly accepted medical attention but returned to the tent, determined to maintain their protest. “It’s freezing, we are exhausted, and our health is deteriorating,” said protester Pakiza Hama Amin in an interview with 964media. “I am not well. My legs are going numb, and I can barely walk,” she noted, describing how the strike has taken a severe toll. Fighting back tears, she added, “I miss my home, my children, my clothes, the smell of my house, and my daily life.”

Dr. Sabah Hawrami, director general of Sulaymaniyah health, warned that the situation has reached a critical point. “As of now, they have entered a new phase of medical risk, and their condition is worsening,” he told 964media, explaining that hunger strikers declined comprehensive medical care. “After they refused medical care, we had to adjust our approach and increase the level of monitoring by our medical teams.”

A protest spokesperson said the group will not end its strike without a clear, official statement from authorities. During a news conference, protest representative Osman Gulpi reported that medical teams are documenting deteriorating blood sugar levels and other complications. “After 11 days of this sit-in and as we approach the 12th day, medical teams are confirming that their health is deteriorating,” he said.

Gulpi added that an Iraqi parliamentary delegation visited the protesters to hear their grievances, noting that the group’s pressure contributed to a delay in passing Iraq’s budget law. “They discussed the 2025 salary budget and stated that further discussions will be held in the coming days to address other concerns,” he said. While delegates claimed that some demands have been met, protesters insist no tangible progress has been made on their key issue: unpaid December 2024 wages.

The KRG and Baghdad reached an agreement to for the federal government to transfer funds for January 2025 salaries—approximately 958 billion Iraqi dinars ($638.67 million)—but have not resolved the fate of December 2024 payments.

Gulpi stressed that protesters demand immediate disbursement of all pending wages, rather than “vague promises.”

Meanwhile, medical teams transported two more protesters to the hospital on Saturday after they collapsed. They later returned to the tent, refusing to end the strike until their conditions are met.