ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Erbil governor’s office on Thursday launched two hotlines for those affected by the recent flash floods in the province who have not yet received assistance, with one of the numbers reserved for damaged homes and the other for damaged vehicles.

Parts of Erbil were hit by flash floods on Saturday night, killing a five-year-old boy and a 25-year-old wheel loader operator who had been helping people trapped in the floodwaters.

The floods also caused extensive property damage, submerging cars and homes.

The governorate’s office released a notice on its official platforms calling on citizens “whose homes or property were damaged by the flood” to contact two designated phone numbers for special teams to assess their damages.

Both numbers are available on WhatsApp, including a number to assess damages sustained by houses (+9647516407861), and another for damaged cars (+9647512146500).

The notice is intended for individuals whose damaged properties have not been assessed by specialized teams, those who were not home when teams visited the impacted areas, and those who have not submitted documents for their damaged vehicles.

On Tuesday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani held a meeting at the Erbil governorate office, where he stressed that authorities are working to identify the causes of Saturday’s deadly floods, including factors that worsened their impact, to help prevent similar incidents in the future.

During the meeting, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw told Barzani that a preliminary assessment put the damage at around $6.6 million. He said the figure could rise, with the assessment expected to be finalized within two days.

The Kurdistan Region experienced major flooding last winter, with heavy rainfall in December causing several flash floods of varying severity in Sulaimani, Erbil, and Duhok.

At the time, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) formed compensation committees in affected areas to assess damages and support victims.

Erbil is vulnerable to flooding because heavy rainfall over short periods can overwhelm its drainage system. The city's flat terrain and surrounding hills also cause runoff from nearby areas to flow into urban neighborhoods.