Teachers and public sector workers end hunger strike in Sulaymaniyah after 15 days

SULAYMANIYAH — Protesters in Sulaymaniyah ended a 15-day hunger strike on Tuesday. Hundreds of citizens had gathered today in front of the strikers’ tent, urging them to end their strike, chanting, “fulfill our hope, end the strike.”

Following chants and demands from the crowd, the strikers conducted a meeting under the tent, before announcing the decision to end the strike.

Hadi Hama Rashid, a one of the hunger strikers, addressed the crowd after the decision, saying, “We thank everyone who understood our message.”

“We did not break the strike due to promises from authorities,” he said. “But under pressure from mothers who came with the Quran, we decided to end it.”

The hunger strike had lasted for 15 days. Today, shopkeepers in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja also closed their stores for an hour in solidarity with the protesters.

The group of teachers and public sector employees have been staging their weeks-long hunger strike outside the United Nations compound in Sulaymaniyah, protesting delayed salaries and worsening living conditions. Some participants have suffered health complications and have been hospitalized.

Public workers throughout the Kurdistan Region have faced recurring pay delays, with December 2024 wages still unpaid.