Iraq
An Iraqi man uses a curbside shower to cool off during a heat wave in the capital Baghdad in June, 2019. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Saturday directed official working hours in public offices to be reduced by one hour through the summer in consideration of the high temperatures experienced throughout the country.
Official working hours for state institutions in all Iraqi federal provinces, excluding Baghdad, will be from 7 am to 1 pm, according to a statement from the General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers. A typical workday for Iraqi institutes is 8 am to 3 pm.
Baghdad is not included in the recent decision as working hours in the Iraqi capital were regulated in April, setting up separate starting and finishing hours based on directorates and ministries, to avoid traffic jams. Nonetheless, working hours in Baghdad will also be changed to start one hour earlier and end two hours earlier, meaning employees will work one hour less.
The Iraqi premier also authorized governors to suspend working hours entirely in all state institutions during days when the temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius or higher. Ministers are also permitted to increase working hours “in cases of necessity, and in accordance with the law.”
The new changes will go into effect Sunday and continue through the end of August.
Extremely high temperatures are regularly recorded across Iraq during summertime, exacerbated by water scarcity, desertification and reduced rainfall.
Iraq’s meteorology and seismology organization on Friday forecasted that temperatures are set to reach 50 degrees Celsius in seven provinces this weekend.
Iraq’s health ministry issued instructions to citizens on Thursday, advising them to avoid going outside and to avoid direct sunlight “especially during the hottest hours, which are between 10 am and 4 pm.”
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