Diwaniyah
Protesters block roads, issue warnings over worsening power outages in southern Iraq
DIWANIYAH — Protests erupted over the weekend in two southern districts of Iraq as prolonged power outages fueled public anger, with residents in Ghammas setting tires ablaze to block a main highway and demonstrators in Numaniyah warning the Ministry of Electricity of further action if services don’t improve.
In Ghammas, part of Diwaniyah governorate, electricity supply has fallen to just six hours per day amid rising temperatures ahead of the summer peak. Demonstrators gathered Sunday evening to decry what they called official negligence and broken promises.
“It’s shameful for a state that hosts [Arab League] summits to be unable to light up a city like Ghammas, where electricity has dropped to just six hours a day and 18 hours of outage,” protester Mohammed Jamal told 964media as thick plumes of smoke from burning tires filled the air.
Across Iraq, electricity shortages have become a longstanding crisis, particularly during the summer months when demand surges and the country’s aging infrastructure struggles to keep up. The national grid’s limited generation capacity forces residents to rely heavily on private diesel-powered generators, which are costly and often inadequate for maintaining cooling systems and powering homes during extended blackouts.
The situation has grown more urgent as higher temperatures arrive earlier in the year. Residents in both Ghammas and Numaniyah say they are prepared to escalate protests if services don’t improve.
In Numaniyah, part of Wasit governorate, residents have issued warnings to electricity officials, accusing them of ignoring the region’s growing power demands. Activists have circulated messages calling for coordinated protests if conditions persist into the summer months.
“It’s a scandal that we float on a sea of oil, yet still depend on Iranian gas and private generators that exhaust citizens and enrich the corrupt,” Jamal said. “Today, we are telling the government: Ghammas is not off the map, and its anger is not just a passing cry — it’s a final warning. Either deliver real solutions or face irreversible escalation.”
Protesters said they would continue demonstrations until service improves.
Meanwhile, in Numaniyah, a district in Wasit Governorate east of Baghdad, residents held a peaceful protest Saturday night, demanding the restoration of electricity service, which they say has dropped to just eight hours a day in some neighborhoods.
Haider al-Quraishi, a local resident, said, “Electricity supply has seriously deteriorated over the past three days. In some areas of central Numaniyah and its outskirts, we’re only getting eight hours. With rising temperatures, the conditions at home are stifling without electricity.”
“There’s also a clear weakness in power flow in several parts of Numaniyah,” he added. “It’s caused cooling systems to shut off and damaged many household appliances.”
Protesters gave the Ministry of Electricity a four-day deadline to restore service or face what they described as “escalated peaceful protests.”
Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said Thursday that a sharp drop in Iranian gas imports has caused a loss of about 3,500 megawatts in national power production, raising concern over the country’s ability to meet demand during the summer months.
