ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Residents of nearly a dozen villages north of Kirkuk province have been forced to carry goods and basic necessities on their backs after a main bridge collapsed due to devastating floods and torrential downpours earlier this week.
The affected villages are located in the Qarahanjir sub-district, where men transport animal fodder and household supplies on their shoulders, while women and children must travel longer distances to commute between their homes and nearby areas.
The Kurdistan Region and several parts of Iraq were hit by three consecutive days of heavy rainfall beginning Monday, triggering severe flash floods across the region.
Sirwan Sheikh Jeeri, a resident of the village of Sheikh Jeeri, said the disaster has cut off vehicle access to several villages.
“These people are taking livestock supplies to villages over there, but they are stranded because they cannot reach their destinations,” he said. “The roads are cut off. People have to go shopping every other day like this.”
Residents say their biggest concern is the lack of access during emergencies.
“As you can see, this road is cut off, and three other roads here are also out of service. There is no access at all to five or six villages,” said Amanj Salar, another resident of Sheikh Jeeri.
“In emergency cases, they will have to carry patients in their arms or on their backs to get them to the hospital,” he added.
Although the flooding has not caused any casualties in these villages, it has resulted in extensive material damage in Sheikh Jeeri and surrounding areas.
“No vehicles have been able to reach the other villages. There is zero movement,” said Brwa Jazhni, adding that floodwaters destroyed house walls and reduced some homes to rubble.
According to data obtained by Rudaw, the rushing waters destroyed groves and orchards, killed livestock, and severely damaged roads and other infrastructure in the area.
Following the floods, a delegation from Iraq’s interior ministry visited the hardest-hit areas.
“Today, our efforts at the state and governorate levels are focused on beginning road reconstruction, even if temporarily, to reopen access to these villages,” said Jaafar Batat, head of the delegation. “We will then move forward with permanent and improved repairs.”
Iraq’s health ministry reported on Thursday that floods have killed nine people nationwide, including three in the Kurdistan Region - two in Chamchamal and one in Kalar. Victims died due to electrocution, collapsing walls, or being swept away by floodwaters. More than a dozen people were injured, and one person remains missing in Sulaimani province.