A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
For the past week, Iraq has been witnessing mass civilian protests that have led to clashes between protestors and security forces, involving in some cases a high degree of violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands injured. Iraq has been rocked by days of protests, as thousands of mostly young people have been demonstrating in different parts of the country due to unemployment and poor public services and demanding national reform.
Large scale demonstrations began on 1 October 2019 following the curfew imposed by authorities and the cut of internet access in many cities, putting Iraq daily in a situation of uncertainty. Large protests have taken place in the capital Baghdad and spread to other cities such as Basrah, Amara, Al Nasiriya, Al Diwaniya, Samawa, Babel and Najaf.
Following to the lifting of the imposed curfew on 5 October 2019, the demonstrations continue to date, while more people being reported injured and/or killed. The situation is likely to remain insecure in the coming days.