Iraq could face another summer of bloodshed

Iraq could face another summer of bloodshed

Hundreds of protesters converged on the streets of the southern Iraqi city of Basra last week. Demonstrators across the province are calling for structural change to fix rampant corruption, a stagnant economy, high unemployment and underfunded public utilities. Protests in Iraq are common, but last summer's demonstrations saw an escalation into violence. Hundreds were wounded and killed, and many thousands more were arrested after clashes with police forces. Government buildings were set on fire, and the province was on the edge of revolt. Despite the violence, little has changed. The government still suffers from mismanagement and fraud. The country's elite have done little to improve conditions for the lower classes. As temperatures creep closer to 50°C and the struggling electrical grid and fresh water supply are strained, many question whether the protests will spiral into similar violence. On this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Campbell MacDiarmid speaks with Dr Renad Mansour, a research fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, and Belkis Wille, the senior Iraq researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. Read more on our website:

Episoder(477)

Israel's first attack on Yemen – what happens next?

Israel's first attack on Yemen – what happens next?

Residents in the Yemeni city of Hodeidah woke up last Sunday to plumes of black smoke filling the skies. Israel had just struck the port, a main artery for the city, killing nine people and injuring m...

26 Jul 202423min

How Gazans cope with constant uprooting when 'nowhere is safe'

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In the first weeks of July, the Israeli army ordered about 80,000 residents of Gaza city, in the north of the strip, to evacuate towards the south. At the same time, residents in large areas of Khan Y...

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What will ties between Assad and Erdogan mean for Syrian refugees?

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Hundreds of rioters were arrested at the start of July after angry mobs in Turkey vandalised cars and shops belonging to Syrian refugees. Fuelled by reports that a Syrian man had assaulted a young gir...

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Heatwave in the Arab region - How extreme heat impacted daily lives

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The intense heatwaves sweeping across the Middle East this summer is taking a high toll on people. Temperatures have soared to unprecedented levels, causing widespread discomfort and significant chall...

5 Jul 202418min

The complexities of delivering aid in Gaza

The complexities of delivering aid in Gaza

The eight-month war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale. Over 37 thousand Palestinians have been killed in this period, and over 80 thousand have been injured in the confli...

14 Jun 202414min

What will it take for Israel and Hamas to lay down arms?

What will it take for Israel and Hamas to lay down arms?

Eight months into the war in Gaza, as two million people there struggle for survival and more than 36,600 have lost their lives, the fate of Israel and Hamas themselves also hangs in the balance. Isra...

7 Jun 202414min

Rafah under fire: global outcry and international repercussions

Rafah under fire: global outcry and international repercussions

A series of deadly Israeli strikes launched on May 26 at a camp for displaced people in Rafah, targeting two senior Hamas members, caused a fire and killed 45 people. It came only days after global le...

31 Mai 202414min

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The sudden death of a president and his Foreign Minister could send any country into disarray and chaos. But that’s not exactly what happened in Iran after a helicopter crash killed President Ebrahim ...

24 Mai 202413min

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