PM Barzani orders allocation of 20,000 land plots to Peshmerga families, genocide victims

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has ordered the allocation of around 20,000 plots of land, a regional government spokesperson announced on Monday, specifying that the beneficiaries of the decision include the families of fallen Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, victims of genocide, and political prisoners.

“5,440 land plots will be allocated to the families of Peshmerga martyrs and victims of genocide, while 15,499 land plots will be allocated to political prisoners,” said Peshawa Hawramani, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), noting that the move comes in response to a decision by Prime Minister Barzani.

According to the KRG official, the allocation does not include those who have previously benefited from earlier land distributions by Erbil, including under the regional government’s land distribution policy, which had been directed at government employees.

Erbil has repeatedly distributed land plots to civil servants, with officials often explaining that the move aims to directly alleviate housing shortages and address housing insecurity among public sector employees across the Region, particularly as they have endured years of economic hardship and delays in salary payments.

Furthermore, the initiative uses a points-based system that prioritizes employees according to their years of service, marital status, and family size.

In October, the Kurdistan Region distributed approximately 1,000 residential land plots to government employees within Erbil province.

The KRG’s Municipalities Minister Sasan Awni then explained that the initiative is part of a broader housing program targeting around 470,000 employees across the Region, including more than 200,000 in Erbil province, aimed at providing land to all eligible civil servants.