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Closure of Iranian border affects
Kurdistan region's economy
30.9.2007
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September
30, 2007
Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', -- Aid
agencies in the northern semi-autonomous region of
Kurdistan have said the continuing closure of Iraq's
border with Iran will not hamper their work as they
do not use the Iranian border for getting supplies.
However, Azad Ahmed, a 45-year old pharmacist in
Sulaimaniyah, said that although medicines are
imported from neighbouring countries other than Iran
some critical items do come from Iran as well.
"There are a lot of items which come from Turkey,
Jordan and Syria but we have some important medical
items which are imported from Iran such as
painkillers, syringes, cough syrup and optic
medicines," Ahmed said.
"We have not seen any shortages so far as stores are
still well stocked, but I think if this situation
[the border closure] continues for another month,
then we'll see acute shortages," Ahmed added.
On 24 September Iran closed five border crossings
with Iraqi Kurdistan region 'northeastern Iraq' to
protest against the US detention of an Iranian
official whom the US military accused of weapons
smuggling. Other Iran-Iraq border crossings are
still open.
Stranded
The measure has affected Kurdistan's economy,
leaving travellers and cargo stranded, officials and
local people said on 27 September.
"Nearly 35,000 people - truck drivers, workers and
traders - are now deprived of work due to the
closure and hundreds of trucks are stranded at the
border, some of them with goods which can't stay
fresh for long, like vegetables, fruit and dairy
products," said Hassan Baqi, head of Sulaimaniyah
Chamber of Commerce.
"The commercial sector… especially in Sulaimaniyah,
has been particularly affected over the past three
days as up to 60 percent of consumer items come from
Iran, and there are over 80 Iranian trading
companies operating in the region," Baqi added.
Prices up
Since 24 September the prices of imported goods like
vegetables, fruit, dairy products, potatoes and
construction and industrial materials have risen
sharply.
"I came to the market to buy five items: bananas,
apples, watermelons, melons and oranges, but could
buy only three as the prices had gone up by at least
500 Iraqi dinars (about 50 US cents) a kilogramme,"
said Sazan Mohammed, a 35-year old employee at the
city's electricity directorate and a mother of five.
"If things go on like this, we will definitely, as
employees, not be able to find anything to feed our
children," said Sazan at Sulaimaniyah main market.
"These are political things, why are we involved?
Civilians have nothing to do with such things."
Traders consider options
As hope of reopening the border crossing faded,
Rashid Qadir, a 58-year-old dairy merchant, was
thinking of sending his goods to another border
crossing outside Kurdistan.
"I have 17 tonnes of dairy products in two trucks
stranded at the border right now and 30 more tonnes
at factories," said Qadir, who with his three
brothers, runs one of Sulaimaniyah's wholesale
stores.
"I have to find a way to get these goods in
Kurdistan otherwise I will lose out, and of course
the prices of these goods will go up," he said.
According to Rustom Ahmed at the Bashmakh border
crossing, the daily average number of trucks
crossing this border used to be about 200. "Now the
trucks are lined up on the Iranian side, the
travellers have vanished and the workers have no
work," Ahmed said.
The arrested Iranian official has been identified as
Mahmudi Farhadi and was arrested on 20 September in
a raid on a hotel in Sulaimaniyah.
US officials said Farhadi was a member of the elite
'Quds' force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards
that smuggles weapons into Iraq. But Iraqi and
Iranian leaders said he was in the country on
official business and with the full knowledge of the
Iraqi government.
irinnews org
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