The battle of the sidewalks in Baghdad: pedestrians demand evacuation of indwelling vendors

Shafaq News / You will be surrounded by vendors selling everything -literally- when wandering through Baghdad.

In other words, sidewalks are battlegrounds for a nonending "war" between residents and sellers.

"The government is behind the spread of vendors since it does not provide jobs for the youth," claimed Ali, a mobile juice vendor who provides for his seven-members family in central Baghdad's Sinek region.

"No one will assist or provide a livelihood for us, so we must take action and support ourselves."

Since he "placed it" at a location that does not obstruct pedestrians, he refuted claims that his job upset people: "The citizens pass, even if by zigzagging around it", he said.

A street seller named Fouad Mustafa said, "I start working since dawn, yet I only gained 7,000 dinars today," implying that "we would not resort to arduous jobs if the government offered employment."

"Even though I am disabled, have epilepsy, and have previously had two strokes, they told me I did not qualify for social care when I applied. I would not do this job if I had a fixed salary."

Vendors rule the pavements

On the other hand, Um Mariam finds it challenging to cross the street in her neighborhood in downtown Baghdad.

She told Shafaq News Agency,"the citizens have become trapped among the vendors who have overstepped the sidewalks. It is known that the sidewalks are for citizens. Still, due to the large number of street vendors, we now cross the traffic-jammed street, which has become full of signs to attract passers-by and car owners, increasing the risk of accidents."

"We have forgotten about the sidewalks because of the street vendors and young people who gather there all the time."

According to Sarah, a young woman who works in a store east of the capital, "Due to the huge number of street vendors and young people that cluster around them, we frequently experience harassment when going out. I now use alternative long-distance routes to avoid them."

She continued, "Outdoor cafes and restaurants are being pitched in the streets through drilling tables into the pavements."

"This problem is becoming more prevalent, particularly in areas where you can see the names of cafés or restaurants, but all customers are outside on the sidewalks either eating or smoking. It is currently difficult for citizens, especially women, to move through these locations. Additionally, there are vendors adjacent to the aforementioned cafes or restaurants, thereby blocking the area from passers-by. In addition, due to their delivery bikes, the streets are also regarded as being closed."

Citizens show empathy to vendors

Amid the resentment, you can still find some who show empathy towards vendors. Abu Muhannad said, "the work of vendors is considered a disguised unemployment because most of them are university graduates who found no job opportunity, which forced them to work as vendors or to create a mobile restaurant."

"The expansion of sellers congests the street and detracts from the aesthetics of cities, but all of this linked to the availability of jobs."

"Nobody accepts that public property is being exploited, but real alternatives should be provided to those who are jobless, as people's livelihoods should not be directly cut off without alternatives under the guise of maintaining the aesthetics of the city."

Baghdad Municipality does not respond

Shafaq News Agency correspondent tried to contact the Municipality of Baghdad regarding its policies to address the situation, taking into account their humanitarian situation. The Information Office of the Municipality, however, had not yet commented.

Poverty rates

On August 31, 2022, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announced that about nine million citizens, I.e., about a quarter of the population, are below the poverty line in Iraq. On the other hand, economists believe that the rate is likely to increase in light of the current climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the repercussions of the war against ISIS.