Winter snowfall strains daily life in Duhok’s northern border villages

Shafaq News– Duhok

Heavy snowfall across northern Duhok province, with snow depth exceeding one meter in some areas, has disrupted daily life in border villages this winter, cutting off roads, limiting fuel supplies, and forcing residents to rely on firewood and stored fodder to heat their homes and sustain livestock, according to residents and herders.

As temperatures drop and snow accumulates, many families have struggled to obtain kerosene, the primary fuel used for heating in rural homes. Limited distribution has forced households to rely increasingly on firewood, not only to warm their houses, but also to cook meals and care for livestock, which remains the main source of income for many villagers.

Rozhat Khalil, a resident of a village north of Duhok, told Shafaq News that this winter has been harsher than recent years. “Snowfall has been much heavier than usual,” he said, noting that damage from earlier armed clashes between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkiye left lasting scars on forests and agricultural land, with thousands of trees burned. “With the fighting halted, people go to nearby areas to collect what remains of the burned wood and use it for heating and cooking to get through the winter,” he explained.

Livestock owners say the snow has also disrupted grazing, increasing the burden on households that depend on animals for their livelihoods. Afadel Banki, a local herder, said thick snow has covered pastures and prevented animals from reaching natural fodder. “We prepared ahead of winter by collecting tree leaves and grasses during the summer months,” he said, “stored feed is now essential to keeping animals alive.”

According to Banki, freezing temperatures have also caused water to ice up inside pipes, cutting off supply to homes and farms. “The freezing makes daily life even harder.”

Despite these hardships, residents say the heavy snow and rainfall also carry long-term benefits. Many families rely on agriculture and seasonal water storage, and the precipitation is seen as vital for replenishing reserves ahead of spring and summer planting.

Despite local authorities' work to reopen main roads to ease movement and reconnect isolated communities, villagers say daily life remains shaped by the cold, the snow, and the resilience required to endure them.