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 approximately 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 the move as a decision by Prime Minister Barzani.

According to the KRG official, the allocation does not include beneficiaries of earlier land distributions by Erbil, including under the regional government’s land distribution policy directed at government employees. 

Erbil has repeatedly allotted land to civil servants, a move that directly alleviates housing shortages and addresses housing insecurity among public sector employees across the Region amid years of economic hardship and delays in salary disbursements.

The initiative uses a points-based system that prioritizes employees according to seniority, marital status, and family size.

In October, the Kurdistan Region distributed approximately 1,000 residential allotments 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.