Power outages spark violent protests in Iraq’s Dhi Qar

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Dozens of people staged protests in Al-Fuhud district in southern Dhi Qar province over a sharp drop in electricity supplies, Shafaq News correspondent reported on Monday.

The protesters burned tires to block major roads and demanded the dismissal of Mohammed al-Ruwaiḍi, director of Dhi Qar Electricity.

Iraq’s electricity demand exceeds 60,000 megawatts during the summer, while the country faces a shortfall of nearly 40,000 megawatts, according to the Ministry of Electricity. The deficit leaves many households with only a few hours of state-supplied power each day, forcing millions to rely on private generators. Transmission and distribution losses remain as high as 60%.

The shortage is largely linked to disruptions in gas supplies. Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports for a substantial share of its electricity generation, and those supplies were disrupted after the war on Iran earlier this year and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry added.

Read more: 40-GW electricity gap forces Iraq to back private generators