Iraqis store food and fuel ahead of Friday's protests

Iraqis across the country spent their week shopping, stocking up on essential food, medical supplies and fuel, fearing the repercussions of the protests, expected to take place on Friday 25 October, and the unexpected political crises that they could lead to.

The markets and shops have been crowded with shoppers, which caused an almost complete drain of goods in most markets, amid the increase of the prices of some products due to the traders’ exploitation of this situation to earn more profits.

According to Abu Majid, a food trader in the Shorjah area (Baghdad’s largest commercial area), his warehouses “seemed almost empty because of the high purchase demand by shop owners and citizens,” pointing out to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the available goods in my warehouses were enough for at least 20 days, but they were almost depleted for only six days.”

“We have been surprised this week with the numbers of shoppers, who were not only shop-owners but even citizens who have started buying wholesale foodstuffs directly from our warehouses, for fear of a crisis after the demonstrations,” stressed Abu Majid. He also noted that “most of the wholesalers’ stores in Shorjah market started to be drained of goods due to the high demand. We are waiting for the arrival of the quantities we imported, but in case the roads are cut, they will not reach our stores, and this will automatically lead to a crisis in the market.”

The Iraqi authorities imposed a curfew while cutting off the Internet and closing Baghdad’s outlets and cities’ centres that have witnessed protests for several days earlier this month, making people fear a similar scenario and prepare for it.

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The shopping campaign in the Iraqi governorates has not been limited to food, as people are also trying to store fuel and even gasoline, despite its risks.

“There is no crisis with liquid and gaseous fuel so far. The ministry worked to provide it to avoid a crisis,” said an official in the Iraqi Oil Ministry. He added in an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the crisis depends on the repercussions of the demonstrations and any unexpected results or clashes that may lead to its re-emergence in all sectors, including the oil sector.”

“Citizens are currently buying cooking gas, white oil and even gasoline, and storing them in their gardens,” pointed out the official, warning of “the danger of gasoline and its ignition speed, and that it should not be stored inside the gardens and courtyards.”

Iraqis stress that the bitterness of the crises they have witnessed leads them to save and store the necessary materials to avoid potential disasters.

“What we have suffered during successive crises, especially the scarcity of foodstuffs, medical stuff, fuel and other necessities, made us afraid of any upcoming crisis in the country. We don’t want to see our children hungry and having no food,” Um Abdullah told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, explaining: “We have a store inside our house called the Crisis Warehouse. We have been working during the whole week to store the necessary items in it, including flour, oil, rice, pulses and other foodstuffs that can be stored for a long time.”

She stressed that “the storage of these foodstuffs is enough for at least two months, and then we will wait for what will ensue,” noting that “the traders’ exploitation of the crisis led to the rise of prices of goods in the local market.” Um Abdullah also criticised “the government’s indifference to traders who dominate the market and exploit the crises to raise the goods’ prices.”

All this is taking place in light of the anxiety and political instability the country is going through, with the increasing widespread uproar and anger against the spread of corruption and the lack of job opportunities for the demonstrators, amid unconvincing government measures.