The crises in Iraq are affecting the displaced people.

• Protests in Karbala Province - February 25, 2024

police forces attempted to scatter the demonstrators, resulting in a stampede. The demonstrators primarily emphasized the necessity of basic services, the completion of sewerage projects, and the renovation of streets, which had deteriorated notably following recent heavy rainfall.

One of the protesters pointed out that the current condition of the streets, which we have been suffering from, has entered its fifth year. For five years, the streets of the neighborhood have been in a bad state, and we have heard many promises without any change. It's worth mentioning that after completing the sewer project years ago, they discovered a flaw in the implementation, so they had to dig up the streets again. Today, we cannot move around. The neighborhood has become very miserable, and people can no longer tolerate the poor services. As one of the protesters indicated, this demonstration was sparked by the poor services and is not affiliated with any political agendas. All our demands revolve around paving the neighborhood streets and rectifying previous errors. After hours of the protest, it ended with the intervention of the elderly in the area because the protest coincided with the religious visitation season. However, one of the protesters informed the monitoring team that they would resume their protests on Wednesday after the visitation season ends. The protests will not stop until the government finds real solutions to our problems.

Governor Nasif Jasim Al-Khattabi of Karbala made the decision to remove Ali Mohammed from his role as the acting director of Al-Hindiya district municipality, appointing Mohammed Abdul Hamza as his replacement. Despite the relatively small scale of the protest, a significant number of security forces were deployed in the vicinity. Attempts by the security forces to disperse the demonstrators led to a stampede, but fortunately, the protest concluded peacefully with no casualties reported on either side.

Protests in the provinces of Dohuk and Erbil

Hundreds of displaced persons in Dohuk province in the Kurdistan region protested the decision of the Federal Ministry of Education to close schools for displaced persons and the representation of the region in the province. They expressed that they are Iraqi citizens, and their children have the right to education anywhere in Iraq. Displaced persons organized a protest in front of the building of the Iraqi Ministry of Education's representation in Erbil on Tuesday, February 17, 2024, where protesters raised slogans condemning the decision. One of the protesters pointed out that this decision would deprive a large number of Iraqi displaced children of their right to education. Therefore, we reject the decision to close schools, and we are Iraqi citizens, and our children have the right to education anywhere in Iraq.

One of the students' guardians, who is also a displaced person from Nineveh province, expressed his concern and frustration about the decision, noting that the protesting families have been living in Dohuk for years and the schools in the area are good. They have adapted to life in Dohuk unlike Mosul, which suffers from a fundamental shortage of teaching staff. Additionally, dozens of displaced persons and residents in the city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, organized a protest to condemn the decision to close the representation of the Federal Ministry of Education.

Dozens of residents and students' guardians in Erbil city organized a protest on Thursday, February 29, 2024, in front of the United Nations headquarters against the decision of the Iraqi Ministry of Education to close its representation in the Kurdistan Region. This decision will negatively impact displaced persons and deprive their children of the opportunity to receive free education in Iraq, which is considered a fundamental right for children in the country. One of the protesters mentioned that he has six children studying in the Kurdistan Region, and the decision to close the representations will greatly harm him as he cannot return to his province and does not have the means to send his children to private schools. Another protester pointed out that the decision to close the representation is a political one and does not serve the students, especially since the majority of them are residents and not displaced persons. The constitution guarantees Iraqi citizens the right to reside in any Iraqi province, and it is the duty of the state to provide them with basic services, including education.

On February 14, 2024, the Iraqi Federal Ministry of Education decided to close its representations in the provinces of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk, stating that this decision comes within the framework of implementing the Federal Cabinet's decision to close the camps for displaced persons. On the other hand, the Minister of Education in the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr. Alan Hama Saeed, stated that in a phone call with the Iraqi Minister of Education, Ibrahim Al-Jubouri, to follow up on this matter, the latter confirmed that the decision to reduce the number of employees and teaching staff in those schools is "just an administrative measure related to organizing the affairs of the teaching staff of the mentioned schools."

The reasons that led to the protests and the demands of the protesters include:

• Closure of schools for displaced children in the provinces of the region.
• Poor services.

Notes on the security forces' handling of the gatherings:

It could be argued that the security forces' handling of the protests is still weak in terms of professionalism. One of the primary responsibilities of security forces is to be present during protests to protect both the protesters and vital infrastructure in the area where the protest is taking place. Additionally, they are tasked with maintaining the peaceful nature of the protest and organizing it. Pushing citizens towards violence through overcrowding and unprofessional behavior indicates a weak performance of the security forces overall.

Kurdistan Organization for Human Right Watch

www.KOHRW.org

Email: Reports@kohrw.org