The salary crisis in the Kurdistan region has persisted for over a decade, with no resolution in sight. Nearly ten days into their hunger and thirst strike, teachers and public employees continue to demand their rightful wages.

This crisis dates back to 2014 when the Iraqi government cut the Kurdistan region’s budget due to political and economic disputes. Since then, public sector employees in the region have not received a single month’s salary without delays or deductions.

In February 2024, teachers in the Kurdistan region filed a lawsuit with the Federal Court of Iraq, seeking a resolution to the ongoing salary delays. On February 21, 2024, the court ruled that the salaries of teachers in the affected provinces should be settled by the Iraqi government through Iraq’s central banks. However, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was required to send oil and non-oil revenues to the central government in exchange for a full budget allocation. Disagreements between the two governments, particularly the KRG’s refusal to fully comply with the settlement, led to further delays.

As the new school year began, teachers in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja went on strike in response to salary delays that had persisted since November 2024. After months of inaction from both governments, teachers escalated their protest on January 29, 2025, setting up tents outside the UN office in Sulaymaniyah and initiating a hunger and thirst strike.

The situation has become increasingly dire. On the sixth day of the hunger strike, teachers symbolically donned burial shrouds, staging a powerful demonstration that spread across Sulaymaniyah and Kalar. Despite these dramatic protests, neither the Kurdistan Regional Government nor the Iraqi central government has provided a definitive solution. Schools in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja remain closed, and teachers have vowed to continue their protests until their demands are met. Although the federal government recently released a salary list for January a few hours ago, many employees have yet to receive their wages, and there is still no confirmation regarding December’s salaries. With no clear resolution in sight, the crisis remains a pressing issue, leaving thousands of educators and their families in financial uncertainty.