Beyond the Headlines: Will Iraq's power problem ever end?

Iraq’s summer is crippling the country. People are having to seek refuge indoors to escape scorching temperatures that regularly reach 50°C.

Indoors isn’t much better, with regular power blackouts adding to people’s frustrations.

So, aside from seeking shade within the four walls of their houses, there is little else Iraqis can do to cool themselves down. The electricity supply in the country is scarce and what little there is, is rationed into limited time slots each day.

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The power problem has existed for decades. The 1990-91 Gulf War severely damaged Iraq's infrastructure. International sanctions on Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein made the situation worse. Hopes that things would improve after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam were never realised.

On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Suhail Akram asks whether Iraq’s power problem has any end in sight.

Updated: July 16th 2021, 11:16 AM