Iraq conducts first national census in nearly 40 years

Population count stokes tensions successful Iraqi Kurdistan, pinch fears that reduced numbers will lessen Kurdish clout successful sectarian system.

Iraq is conducting a nationwide census, its first effort to stitchery demographic information since 1987 erstwhile Saddam Hussein was still successful power.

The Ministry of Interior announced a two-day curfew for nan extended operation, which will spot 120,000 researchers gathering information from households successful each 18 of nan country’s governorates connected Wednesday and Thursday.

Ministry of Planning spokesperson Abdul-Zahra al-Hindawi said that nan census, carried retired pinch nan United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), would uncover “the reality of Iraq successful its smallest details”, enabling authorities to pinpoint gaps successful health, acquisition and lodging provision.

Iraq has spent overmuch of nan past fewer decades devastated by conflict and sanctions, nan 2003 United States-led invasion that toppled Hussein followed by sectarian struggles and nan emergence of nan ISIL (ISIS) group.

The enactment of counting nan organization could beryllium contentious, pinch nan census expected to person profound implications for Iraq’s assets distribution, fund allocations and improvement planning.

In particular, it has reignited tensions betwixt Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan, nan second fearing immoderate documented diminution successful nan Kurdish organization will trim nan group’s governmental power and economical entitlements successful nan country’s sectarian power-sharing system.

A squad from nan Planning Ministry carries retired nan nationalist census successful Kirkuk [Ako Rasheed/Reuters]

The count successful territories specified arsenic Kirkuk, Diyala and Mosul – wherever power is disputed betwixt nan cardinal authorities successful Baghdad and nan semi-autonomous Kurdish location authorities successful nan northbound – has drawn aggravated scrutiny.

Ali Arian Saleh, nan executive head of nan census astatine nan Planning Ministry, said researchers from each taste groups – Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Christians – would behaviour nan census successful disputed areas to “ensure fairness”.

Saleh said nan Kurdish region’s stock of nan nationalist fund – presently 12 percent – is based connected an estimated organization of six million. He estimated Iraq’s full organization to beryllium 44.5 million.

The census, which will stitchery accusation from households connected issues for illustration health, acquisition and employment, includes belief but does not differentiate betwixt sects, specified arsenic Sunni and Shia Muslims. Unlike erstwhile counts, it excludes ethnicity.

Demographics are apt to person shifted pinch nan exile of hundreds of thousands of Christians, and besides of tens of thousands of Yazidi families who were displaced from Sinjar by atrocities committed by ISIL.

The past nationwide census successful Iraq was held successful 1987. Another 1 held successful 1997 excluded nan 3 bluish provinces that dress up nan semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies