ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Flights across Iraq will operate as scheduled and will not be impacted by the curfew imposed during the anticipated population census later this week, an Iraqi official told Rudaw on Sunday. Iraq is set to have a population census on November 20 and 21, during which a curfew has been imposed to facilitate a full count. Maytham al-Safi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi transportation ministry told Rudaw that during the curfew days, flights in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region will operate as scheduled without any disruptions, adding that the curfew does not encompass flights. Security forces will coordinate with tourists based on airline tickets and passport evidence to facilitate travel, according to Safi. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday declared a week-long public holiday to enable its civil servants and students, who are original residents of the disputed areas, to return to their cities in order to participate in a crucial nationwide population census which is vital for the future of these territories. The holiday starts on November 15 and ends on the second day of the census on November 21. Iraq last conducted a census in 1997, excluding the provinces of the Kurdistan Region. The last census involving the Kurdistan Region was in 1987. Estimates now put Iraq’s population around 50 million. A census planned for 2020 was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Iraq commenced its first phase in September by surveying and counting buildings.
