ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani has given initial approval to a proposal that would exempt residents of Basra from paying water fees due to the worsening saltwater crisis in the province, a local political figure said.

Sheikh Mazahim al-Tamimi, a member of Sudani’s al-Furatain electoral bloc in Basra, told The New Region that the prime minister agreed to the proposal he submitted.

“The exemption will begin from the moment the salt tide crisis worsened and will continue until the water situation improves,” Tamimi said.

He added that Sudani expressed his understanding of the suffering of Basra’s residents and described the measure as a show of support for families struggling with poor water quality.

Tamimi said the decision must still be approved by the cabinet before it can be implemented by local authorities.

Basra’s Water Department Director Nizar Laibi welcomed the move and said that the situation in the city is very difficult.

“We support any step that eases the burden on people, including waiving the water fees,” he told The New Region.

He explained that monthly water fees for a household are around 11,000 Iraqi dinars and that many families are struggling to pay due to a shortage of clean water and poor services.

Large parts of Basra, especially in the southern and eastern districts, are experiencing major shortages of usable water, with increasing complaints about high salinity levels. Many families are now relying on bottled or tanker-delivered water, as long-term solutions remain absent.

The New Region reported on Tuesday that hospitals in Basra are reporting dozens of skin rash cases, with medical officials and environmental activists saying that the cases are likely linked to worsening water pollution and increasing salt levels in the region’s water supply.

In a separate development, Iraqi politician Mishaan al-Jubouri accused Prime Minister Sudani of favoritism during a recent visit to Salahaddin province. In a television interview, Jubouri said the prime minister awarded a 117 billion dinar riverside project to a company linked to a candidate in his political bloc through direct contracting.

“This project was awarded with public funds while provinces suffer from a lack of services,” Jubouri said. “That’s why I oppose Sudani.”

During the same visit, Sudani met with lawmaker Haitham al-Zahwan, who leads his bloc in Salahaddin. Documents from the provincial integrity committee revealed that the prime minister also approved promotions for 11 officers in the defense and interior ministries and honored 20 others with seniority bonuses.

Following this, the committee’s chairman, Amjad Mohammed Ahmed Talmas, announced his candidacy for Sudani’s "Reconstruction and Development" coalition in Salahaddin.

Meanwhile, the parliament’s Security and Defense Committee Chairman Karim Aliwi al-Muhammadawi criticized the officer promotions, saying the exclusion of older officers was a waste of experience.

“Promoting officers aged 30 to 35 to the rank of major general is rare in most armies,” he said in a statement. “Senior ranks require years of field and administrative experience. Ignoring older officers, especially those nearing retirement, raises serious concerns.”