Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq
By Zhang Wei, Jamal Hashim
BAGHDAD, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- After three years of the U.S.-led invasion, Iraqis feel they have to face more and more troubles with rising prices in amid ongoing inflation.
Um Muhammed, a mother of four children in Baghdad, said she only bought vegetables for her family, because she can't afford the meat now.
"But even the prices of vegetables are quite high. I sometimes buy onion, potatoes or other thing, but nothing in the market lessthan 1,000 Iraqi Dinars (0.7 dollar) one kilo, three or four times more than the prices six months ago," the 45-year-old housewife complained while heading home from the market with three small bags.
Like Um Muhammed, many Iraqis find as well as the upsurge violence, they have to face a new foe, the rising prices, as the inflation is spiraling out of control in Iraq.
Fuel and electricity prices are up more than 270 percent from last years, according to Iraqi government statistics. Tea in some markets has quadrupled, egg prices have doubled.
"The price of nearly everything in my shop has increased dramatically during the past several months. Beef now runs as highas 9,000 IDs (6.2 dollars) one kilo, up from 5,000 IDs (3.4 dollars) last year," said Allaa Hamid, a shop owner in Khadraa neighborhood in western Baghdad.
The price spiral has come as a shock to many Iraqis, who make about 150 dollars to 200 dollars per month on average even if they have jobs. Estimates of unemployment range from 40 to 60 percent. Many Iraqi families have no other choice but to struggle to make ends meet.
"We are buying according to priorities, I mean we buy the minimum of the most needed things," Um Muhammed said with a sigh.
"Markets are filled with fresh fruit, vegetables and meat but they are very expensive. We even can't afford to buy the most basic items," said Mustafa Kamil, 56, a retired government employee who drives a taxi in Baghdad to make a living.
"I used to entirely depend on the ration card which distributed by the government, but now we can't get it regularly and several items were omitted from the ration cards," he said.
Though more than three years after the collapse of Saddam regime, the Iraqis still face a severe shortage of electricity.
The government provides electricity only for four to six hours a day, nearly every family turns to substantial power sources, which cost an average of 35 dollars per month.
"I pay 60,000 ID (41 dollars) per month for buying electricity from private generators in my district to gain additional ten-hour electricity supply. The rest of the day I use my small generator," Adnan al-Sarraf, 43, a government employee said.
"This cost most of my salary because I also have to buy fuel for my generator," he said, adding the current fuel price was beyond his imagination.
The war-torn country is sporadically facing a ridiculous oil crisis now. Gasoline in state-run gas stations is sold at 350 IDs (0.24 dollar) per liter, but in short supply. Many people have to purchase gasoline 1,500 IDs (1 dollar )per liter in black markets.
Though wild inflation has become the unbearable heavy for Iraqis, some still do not think it is their major problem.
"You see inflation could destroy our life but it can not kill us, so the daily killings and blasts are till our arch foe," Raad Manie, 49, an engineer said.
"During the sanctions on Iraq before 2003, we were eager to seethe light at the end of the tunnel, but now we are looking for tunnels to hide from blasts and death squads," Manie said ironically. Enditem
