ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Villagers in Qundol used to make their living at a thriving market at the semi-official border crossing into Iran. Now that Iran has closed down the crossing into Kurdistan’s Qaladze region and started regulating border trade more strictly, the village is quickly being abandoned.
Of the village’s 50 households, 40 families have left the area since the border crossing closed down. Without regular border trade between Qaladze and Sardasht, there are no other economic opportunities in the area.
Abu Bakir Baiz, mayor of Pshdar District, stated that local officials have tried to exert pressure through Iranian border guards and through the governor of Sulaimani to reopen the Qundol crossing, but have not made any headway.
The governor of Iran’s Sanadaj province has recently hinted that semi-official border crossings might be reopened, but it is not clear whether this decision would include Qundol.
Video report by Fuad Haghighi.
