Shafaq News- Erbil

A survey presented on Tuesday found that 91% of participating households in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) struggled to cover basic daily expenses because of delayed public-sector salaries, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) High Council for Women and Development.

The study, conducted in cooperation with UN Women and presented at a meeting in Erbil attended by international organizations and KRG representatives, covered the KRI's four provinces and several autonomous administrations. It found that 89% of renting families struggled to pay their monthly rent, 85% of families reported psychological stress, and 66% of employees surveyed had sought additional work to support their households.

Council head Khanzad Ahmed told a news conference that salary delays had also contributed to health and social problems, including increased violence linked to financial hardship. She attributed the consequences to the continuing dispute between Baghdad and Erbil, urging both governments to keep salaries out of political and administrative disagreements.

Salaries are a fundamental right, Ahmed said, calling for a lasting mechanism to prevent further delays.

Dindar Zebari, the KRG's coordinator for international recommendations, said the KRG had raised the salary issue internationally, including during Iraq's review before the UN Human Rights Council, where European states submitted recommendations calling for solutions to financial disputes affecting the KRI and its public-sector employees.

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