Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Baghdad’s planned allocation of 50 million liters of subsidized kerosene to the Kurdistan Region (KRI) will cover less than 20% of its winter heating needs, Al-Sulaymaniyah’s Oil and Minerals Directorate spokesperson Salam Omar told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

The Kurdistan Region requires approximately 270 million liters, including 110 million liters for Al-Sulaymaniyah province alone, Omar explained, criticizing the allocation as “inadequate and unfair” given the population, colder climate, and demand for heating fuel. He also noted that the directorate has yet to receive a distribution plan for the promised supplies and urged Baghdad to increase the allocation.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered the release of subsidized kerosene to the Kurdistan Region, while Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi instructed the Oil Products Distribution Company to prepare for delivery.

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw called on Baghdad in late September to provide the Kurdistan Region with its full winter fuel allocation, warning that previous federal supplies had either been withheld or fallen short of demand.