By Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (Testimonies from Iraq)

In March 2020, the Iraqi government had imposed a countrywide lockdown due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the country. In April 2020, about 1500 cases suffering from COVID-19 were reported in the whole of Iraq. Due to limited testing the estimated number of unknown cases are probably much higher. Since the beginning of the pandemic the protesters in Tahrir Square took their own precautionary measures, as the manufacturing and wearing of facemasks, the disinfection of tents and the decision that only 20 % of the protesters are to remain in the square. Moreover, many political and social activists started initiatives to support people in need since the lockdown led to increasing unemployment, poverty and an economic recession due to dropping oil prices.

Beginning in late April of this year, protesters launched the hashtag “we promise the revolution will return”. And that is precisely what happened on May 10^th, 2020. As soon as the lockdown ended, protesters returned to the streets to demand their political, social and economic rights and the overthrow of the political system.

We asked several political activists and protesters to describe to us diverse impacts of the corona-virus on the current situation in Iraq.

Workers and Unemployed in Iraq during COVID-19

Read more from the source: Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung