Karbala officials urge residents not to hoard food, say supplies are sufficient

KARBALA — Karbala Provincial Council Chairman Qasim al-Yasiri called on residents Monday not to stockpile food, saying supplies are adequate and that panic buying is unnecessary.

“Food items are available in sufficient quantities in the markets, including dry goods and other products, and there is no shortage in their supply,” Yasiri said during a meeting to discuss market conditions and price stability in the governorate.

Officials confirmed that Karbala has “sufficient reserves of ration card items for the coming months” and discussed mechanisms to strengthen market oversight and monitor price movements. Yasiri called for increased coordination among oversight bodies “to prevent any manipulation of prices or exploitation of citizens.”

The appeal comes as residents across several Iraqi cities have rushed to buy food in bulk amid fears that the regional war could disrupt supply chains or drive prices higher. Iraq’s Public Distribution System provides basic commodities — including rice, flour, sugar, cooking oil, lentils and tomato paste — to registered households at subsidized prices, a program established in the 1990s that remains a key safety net for millions of Iraqis.