The war in Ukraine left economic repercussions on all parts of the world, including the Arab region, and at the heart of it, Iraq, where the population felt high food prices and scarcity.
This phenomenon was concentrated in wheat, corn and their derivatives, which are heavily involved in preparing Ramadan travel, such as bread and pasta.
But some blamed some traders for raising the prices of commodities unrelated to Russia or Ukraine, using the war to make big gains.
The Iraqis, like the rest of the Arab and Islamic peoples, are preparing their Ramadan food before the beginning of the fasting month, as the demand for various popular main dishes and sweets increases.
The Iraqi citizen, who only identified himself as Ibrahim, told Sky News Arabia: “Everything in the market has been rising in price, for about two years and the rises have continued, with the emergence of the Corona crisis and then with the rise in the exchange rate of the dollar, and finally due to the Ukraine war, where the price of Everything from baby candies and simple sweets, to legumes, flour, rice and sugar.”
He continued, “Someone may say that it is a slight increase, so that it does not exceed a thousand or two thousand dinars for a can of oil, for example, but the reality is that these rises burden the citizens and put them in a financial and living crisis, especially the poor and middle-income (…)”.
government actions
In order to confront the rise in the prices of basic commodities ahead of Ramadan, the Iraqi government announced earlier this March, the disbursement of a government grant of 100,000 Iraqi dinars (about $70) for one time in the name of (a high cost of living grant), which included retirees, low-income employees, and those listed. Within the social welfare program, the incomeless.
Baghdad decided to “zero customs duties” on basic goods, including foodstuffs, building materials and necessary consumables for a period of two months, and to reconsider the decision after examining the crisis.
It also decided to double the quotas of citizens under the ration card, during the month of Ramadan, and it includes foodstuffs given to all citizens, such as rice, oil, sugar and flour.
However, these measures remain insufficient to meet the Iraqis’ food needs, which double during Ramadan, according to some.
Exchange rate and Corona
Prices in Iraq have witnessed remarkable increases, about a year and a half ago, following the increase in the value of the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar, which was reflected in a significant decrease in the purchasing power of citizens, amounting to about 25 percent.
Prior to that, the Corona pandemic crisis that swept Iraq, had cast a bad shadow on Ramadan rituals, as well as the rest of life in the country.
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