Disabled in Al-Sulaymaniyah protest as 17,000+ lack winter fuel

Shafaq News– Al-Sulaymaniyah

People with disabilities and their relatives staged a protest in Kurdistan Region’s Al-Sulaymaniyah province on Thursday, demanding access to subsidized heating fuel.

Saman Hussein, head of the Union of People with Disabilities in Al-Sulaymaniyah, told Shafaq News that more than 17,000 people with disabilities in the province do not receive government-supplied white oil, a kerosene fuel commonly used to heat homes during winter.

Disability benefits average about 100,000 Iraqi dinars ($75) per month, Hussein explained, while a barrel of heating fuel exceeds 170,000 dinars, placing it beyond reach for many families in a province that experiences harsh winters, including sub-zero temperatures and snowfall.

Protesters warned they would continue their sit-in until local officials address their concerns.

The Kurdistan Regional Government operates a seasonal white oil distribution program across the Region. In December 2025, the cabinet said it distributed more than 107 million liters of white oil, benefiting about 537,000 families.