Duhok, One of Kurdistan Region’s poorest provinces, struggles with poverty

DUHOK, October 18 — Duhok is considered one of the poorest provinces in the Kurdistan Region, accounting for 8.5% of the population, according to data from the Federal Ministry of Planning. The local government in Duhok attributes this to the significant number of refugees and internally displaced people it has received, which has had a considerable impact on its financial budget. However, the Deputy Governor of Duhok expressed skepticism about the study prepared by Baghdad.

Shemon Suleiman, Deputy Governor of Duhok, for Network 964:

“Duhok is the poorest due to the large number of refugees and internally displaced people. All their expenses fall on our budget. Despite all these expenditures and the refugees, no specific budget has been provided for this situation.”

Given the high number of refugees and internally displaced people in Duhok, employment opportunities are limited, and despite being one of the poorest provinces, the accuracy of the Iraqi government’s data and information is not very precise due to the lack of a field survey.

Kovan Taha, Professor at the University of Duhok:

“According to a study conducted by the university earlier this year, the unemployment rate in the Duhok province ranges between 11% and 12%.”

Network 964:

According to the Statistics Authority in the Kurdistan Regional Government, Duhok has been the poorest province in the region since 2007, with a population of 1.5 million people.