Iraq’s Diyala wounded veterans rally over delayed land entitlements

Shafaq News- Diyala

Wounded Iraqi security personnel protested on Monday outside the Baqubah Municipality Directorate in eastern Iraq’s Diyala province, demanding the distribution of residential plots allocated to them.

Khalil Al-Shammari, a representative of the protesters, told Shafaq News that the demonstration aims to pressure authorities to distribute plots designated for injured personnel in the Nahr Al-Sheikh area. “They have organized more than one protest to demand their entitlements, but the relevant authorities have not responded.”

The latest protest, according to Al-Shammari, was prompted by reports that the Diyala Provincial Council had formed a committee to review distribution records, despite the issue falling under the jurisdiction of the municipality and local government. He warned that protesters fear possible manipulation of the process through the inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries and oppose any changes to the existing records.

“The wounded plan to meet local authorities to seek a solution, and further demonstrations will follow if their demands remain unmet.”

Earlier this month, wounded Iraqi army veterans staged a similar protest outside the Mosul Municipality building in Nineveh province, demanding residential plots allocated to them years ago.

Iraq's government has long committed to providing residential land plots to wounded military and police personnel as part of a broader security forces entitlement framework, with allocations processed through the Ministry of Defense, the Army Chief of Staff, and local province authorities. The National Intelligence Service has recently distributed more than 700 residential plots to its personnel in Baghdad under the fourth phase of the government program.

Read more: Iraq’s land distribution plan faces legacy of unfinished projects