The High Council for Women and Development in the Kurdistan Regional Government has revealed the exacerbation of the living and social repercussions of the delay in salary payments, confirming that 91% of families in the region face difficulties in securing their basic needs, according to a study conducted in collaboration with UN Women.
The study, which covered the provinces of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja, as well as several independent administrations, showed that the repercussions of the crisis have exceeded the financial aspect, affecting family stability, health, and education, in addition to the psychological and social effects reflected in the lives of citizens.
According to the study's results, 89% of rented families are facing difficulties in paying monthly rents, while 87% of families have been unable to save money, and 85% could not secure medical treatment costs, while 82% were forced to reduce food and education expenses.
In another indicator of the worsening crisis, the results showed that 78% of participants accrued debts, while 70% of families resorted to borrowing from relatives and stores to secure food, and 56% were forced to sell their possessions, including gold, cars, land, and furniture, to cover living expenses.
On the psychological and familial front, the study reported that 92% of participants lost the ability to plan for their future due to the crisis, while 85% of families confirmed experiencing psychological pressure and ongoing anxiety due to the lack of liquidity, with the same percentage indicating concerns about the future educational and living conditions of children.
The results also revealed a disparity in burdens between women and men, as 88% of women experienced severe psychological pressure due to the difficulty in securing household needs, compared to 80% of men, while 87% of women were compelled to give up their personal expenses to meet family needs.
The study pointed out that Halabja and Sulaymaniyah recorded high levels of impact from the crisis across several indicators, due to limited job opportunities in the private sector and increased reliance on government employee salaries.
The repercussions did not stop with families; they extended to government institutions as well. Interviews with officials in the health, education, electricity, municipalities, and water sectors revealed a shortage of staffing and medical supplies, in addition to some institutions relying on shift systems and reducing service hours due to difficulties in funding operational expenses.
In conclusion, the High Council for Women and Development called for a final agreement between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil to ensure the regular payment of salaries, protect basic service budgets, expand the social protection network, and support job opportunities and diversify family income sources to mitigate the repercussions of financial crises in the future.