News Center- More than 10 million Iraqis are living below the poverty line, according to the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq (SCHR).

“Despite significant government efforts in sectors such as infrastructure and housing, critical issues like poverty and limited job opportunities in the private sector persist, impacting the daily lives of Iraqi citizens,” the center said on Tuesday.

 Nearly 25% of Iraq's population, about 43 million, lives below the poverty line, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Planning.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs distributes monthly salaries to only two million families, leaving over one million families in need without support in the 2024 budget, the center said, adding that the number of registered unemployed people is more than 1.65 million.

Hazem Al-Rudaini, Vice-president of the center, urged the Iraqi government to address poverty and unemployment by developing a strategic five-year plan focused on supporting national industries and agriculture and reducing the importation of agricultural and industrial products.