Kurdish kolbars continue to struggle with hardships in crossing Iran’s border

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - On the Kurdistan Region border with Iran, Kurdish kolbars - semi-legal porters - carry heavy goods across rugged terrain, driven by economic hardship and a lack of alternatives in Iran’s Kurdish areas (Rojhelat).

Many of them are elderly, including women, who continue to carry out this demanding work despite their advanced age.

Amina Rizi, a woman kolbar, described the pressures she faces.

“Life is very hard. Many things have become so expensive. A kilo of sugar is 500,000 to 600,000 Tomans [$4.16 to $4.99], and rice is 2.5 million [$20.80 per kilo]. Oh, I can’t afford it. My legs ache, my hands ache. What can I do? The government gives me nothing. Otherwise, I swear to God, I wouldn’t want to come here. But what choice do I have? I must come; I am forced to,” she told Rudaw.

Earnings from transporting goods remain modest. Carrying a 15-kilogram load typically brings in around 1.5 million tomans, roughly $11, barely enough to cover daily expenses.

Muhammed Amin Mahmoodpour, who works with his wife Abdullahi, talked about the hard life they face: “Our age is not for being here and working as Kolbars. At this stage of life, until we pass on to the next world, we should be sitting down, resting, and focusing on our prayers and worship.”

His wife, Abdullahi, also highlighted the economic pressures that force many into this line of work, saying that “life is hard. It has become very difficult in Piranshahr [in West Azerbaijan province]. Things are expensive, and that is why we have come to do this work as Kolbars.”

Kolbars face harsh conditions, including long distances, limited access to food and rest, and low pay.

More than 10,000 residents of Iran’s border regions have received official kolbar work cards, allowing them to travel back and forth. From the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, kolbars typically transport food items, clothing, and cosmetics into Rojhelat.

For many porters, the dangerous and physically demanding work remains the only option to support their families amid rising living costs and limited employment opportunities.

According to the Kurdistan Region's Haji Omaran border crossing figures, 1,000 to 1,500 kolbars come and go daily, and 60 tons of goods and items are transported from the Kurdistan Region to Iran.

Andam Jabar contributed to this report from Haji Omaran.