Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Billions of dinars in oil-company social benefit funds were spent without improving essential services, particularly the healthcare sector,a member of Iraq's Dhi Qar Provincial Council said on Thursday.

Nagham Al-Ibrahimi told Shafaq News that many residents still travel outside the province for specialized treatment, including cancer and burn care, despite years of funding intended to support local development. “The social benefit funds were supposed to support model projects that leave a lasting impact on the province, but that has not happened over the past years.”

Al-Ibrahimi argued that much of the money went to road paving and government buildings rather than strategic projects, while also alleging that “favoritism influenced how resources were distributed.” Dhi Qar, she said, has received no new allocations under the program during the past three years.

Located in southeastern Iraq, Dhi Qar is one of the country’s leading oil-producing provinces. Under Iraq’s petrodollar law, producing regions receive a 5% share of revenues from oil and gas output to offset the environmental and social burdens of extraction and finance reconstruction and development efforts.

Read more: Funding gaps leave Dhi Qar health sector under strain