Power shortages continue to affect millions

Lengthy power cuts over the past two weeks due to insecurity and a decrease in oil production are seriously affecting the lives of Iraqis in the capital, Baghdad. With temperatures below zero degrees centigrade, residents of the city are currently getting fewer than eight hours of electricity per day, making them dependant on generators which require fuel that is both in short supply and prohibitively priced. “I can’t afford a generator and can’t buy food because my refrigerator is constantly subject to power cuts,” said Mariam Hussein, resident of Sad’r City, a major suburb of the capital. “We have less than six hours of power daily.” The closure in December of a major oil refinery in the northern town of Baiji, say observers, made the situation considerably worse, increasing the number of daily power cuts in Baghdad. Khalid Ala’a, a senior official at the electricity ministry, blames the deteriorating security situation: “The difficulties in guaranteeing security to our employees and the increase of demand for power during the winter season have caused a decrease in the production of power at our plants,” Ala’a said. Iraqi employees working for foreign energy companies have received threats on a regular basis, while dozens have been killed for what insurgents see as a betrayal. At least four power plants were critically affected during the invasion of Iraq in early 2003, when energy infrastructure represented a primary target for insurgents fighting US-led forces. Three years later, local electricity production remains lower than pre-war levels. According to Ala’a, Iraq will be able to produce 5,500 megawatts of energy once a US-run electricity programme begins production in October of this year. He added, however, that the country would need a further 4,000 megawatts to completely satisfy demand. “The US government is struggling to bring a better quality of life to all Iraqis,” said Heather Layman, a spokesperson for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). “But for a complete and well-structured project, time is required.” After more than three years of occupation, Iraqis have become increasingly frustrated by an overall deterioration of living conditions. “During Saddam’s time, we always had power, clean water and better food than we have now,” complained Baghdad resident, Bassan Yacoub. Power cuts have also affected students studying for mid-year exams. “I have to study in the afternoon because we don’t have a generator and power comes on for only two hours at night,” lamented Sarah Dulaimi, a Baghdad University student. “And during the day, the noise of the generators in our neighbourhood keeps me from concentrating.”