<p>In Iraq's southern province of Basra, the oil flows freely but little of the wealth trickles down to the people, and many struggle to make ends meet.</p>.<p>Sajad, 17, who lives in Basra city, says he "has no future" and no present. Like other young people, he says he just survives, a living emblem of the city's maladies.</p>.<p>Basra province produces about 70 per cent of crude oil in Iraq, itself the second biggest exporter in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia.</p>.<p>Yet the province is hit especially hard by many of the problems plaguing Iraq, which is still seeking to recover from years of war and turmoil since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.</p>.<p>Unemployment in Basra affects 20 to 25 per cent of the people and almost 30 per cent of youth, estimated Iraqi economist Barik Schuber in the absence of official figures.</p>.<p>This compares to a national rate of 13.7 per cent, according to World Bank figures.</p>.<p>From patchy supplies of water and electricity to pockmarked roads and toxic pollution caused by extracting hydrocarbons, Basra province and its four million inhabitants are struggling.</p>.<p>But what hits hardest is the despair of the young.</p>.<p>Gathered around their shisha pipes, Sajad and Jawad, both aged 16, are hard pressed to find anything to be optimistic about.</p>.<p>Sajad does not work, while Jawad said he toils for "eight to 13 hours in a restaurant for 7,000 dinars (about $4.80) per day".</p>.<p>"I don't see a future here, I want to go to Baghdad," said Sajad, sitting on the shores of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet.</p>.<p>Some investments have been made, such as a new stadium under construction ahead of the Gulf Cup football tournament due to be held in Basra in January 2023.</p>.<p>But the deputy governor of Basra, Dorgham al-Ajwadi, conceded that "the people are angry".</p>.<p>He blamed the distant government in Baghdad for the inequitable distribution of the federal budget.</p>.<p>"In 2021, the Iraqi budget is about 130 trillion Iraqi dinars ($89 billion), but for Basra it's less than one trillion," he told <em>AFP</em>.</p>.<p>"It is maybe 0.7 per cent of the total budget, while more than 108 trillion come from Basra."</p>.<p>For Basra resident Mortada, 27, it's not Baghdad that's to blame but rather the local authorities.</p>.<p>Before the pandemic, he ran an unregistered ice cream shop, he explained.</p>.<p>"Then the authorities shut down the illegal businesses, including mine," he said, requesting that his surname not be published to avoid problems "with certain people".</p>.<p>In Iraq's October 10 parliamentary elections, he voted for an independent candidate unaffiliated with the major parties because "I believe he can change things".</p>.<p>For many, the grievances run deeper.</p>.<p>Basra was a hotbed of massive protests in mid-2018, a precursor to the near-nationwide protests that rocked the country from October 2019.</p>.<p>Anger erupted in Basra over corruption, poor public services, and, above all, the influence of neighbouring Iran, whose local consulate was set ablaze.</p>.<p>Tehran has long exercised influence over Iraq through certain political parties, as well as factions of the Hashed al-Shaabi -- a former paramilitary umbrella organisation that was folded into the Iraqi armed forces.</p>.<p>In Basra, some accuse "groups loyal to Tehran" of wielding harmful influence and of infiltrating the economic fabric.</p>.<p>One such critic refused to give his name, saying that "if it is published, I risk being killed".</p>.<p>Three years after the Basra demonstrations, little has changed, according to Mortada, who does odd jobs and dreams of working "for the state".</p>.<p>In Basra, more than in any other part of the country, a job in the petroleum sector is seen as the ultimate prize for its promise of stability and prosperity.</p>.<p>But according to Mac Skeleton, executive director of the Institute of Regional and International Studies based in Iraqi Kurdistan, jobs in Basra's petrol industry are handed out through nepotism.</p>.<p>"Each of the major Shia majority parties are competing over the Basra oil company, they're competing over the security contracts in the oil fields, for different assets," he explained.</p>.<p>But "connections" are necessary for a way in, he said, adding that "at the end of the day there is a kind of limit to how many people can benefit from these different spheres of power".</p>.<p>Some people miss out despite having connections, said Sajad, whose uncle works at the oil ministry.</p>.<p>The young man complained that his elder relative had already "accommodated two people from his family" and therefore "cannot hire me".</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>In Iraq's southern province of Basra, the oil flows freely but little of the wealth trickles down to the people, and many struggle to make ends meet.</p>.<p>Sajad, 17, who lives in Basra city, says he "has no future" and no present. Like other young people, he says he just survives, a living emblem of the city's maladies.</p>.<p>Basra province produces about 70 per cent of crude oil in Iraq, itself the second biggest exporter in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia.</p>.<p>Yet the province is hit especially hard by many of the problems plaguing Iraq, which is still seeking to recover from years of war and turmoil since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.</p>.<p>Unemployment in Basra affects 20 to 25 per cent of the people and almost 30 per cent of youth, estimated Iraqi economist Barik Schuber in the absence of official figures.</p>.<p>This compares to a national rate of 13.7 per cent, according to World Bank figures.</p>.<p>From patchy supplies of water and electricity to pockmarked roads and toxic pollution caused by extracting hydrocarbons, Basra province and its four million inhabitants are struggling.</p>.<p>But what hits hardest is the despair of the young.</p>.<p>Gathered around their shisha pipes, Sajad and Jawad, both aged 16, are hard pressed to find anything to be optimistic about.</p>.<p>Sajad does not work, while Jawad said he toils for "eight to 13 hours in a restaurant for 7,000 dinars (about $4.80) per day".</p>.<p>"I don't see a future here, I want to go to Baghdad," said Sajad, sitting on the shores of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet.</p>.<p>Some investments have been made, such as a new stadium under construction ahead of the Gulf Cup football tournament due to be held in Basra in January 2023.</p>.<p>But the deputy governor of Basra, Dorgham al-Ajwadi, conceded that "the people are angry".</p>.<p>He blamed the distant government in Baghdad for the inequitable distribution of the federal budget.</p>.<p>"In 2021, the Iraqi budget is about 130 trillion Iraqi dinars ($89 billion), but for Basra it's less than one trillion," he told <em>AFP</em>.</p>.<p>"It is maybe 0.7 per cent of the total budget, while more than 108 trillion come from Basra."</p>.<p>For Basra resident Mortada, 27, it's not Baghdad that's to blame but rather the local authorities.</p>.<p>Before the pandemic, he ran an unregistered ice cream shop, he explained.</p>.<p>"Then the authorities shut down the illegal businesses, including mine," he said, requesting that his surname not be published to avoid problems "with certain people".</p>.<p>In Iraq's October 10 parliamentary elections, he voted for an independent candidate unaffiliated with the major parties because "I believe he can change things".</p>.<p>For many, the grievances run deeper.</p>.<p>Basra was a hotbed of massive protests in mid-2018, a precursor to the near-nationwide protests that rocked the country from October 2019.</p>.<p>Anger erupted in Basra over corruption, poor public services, and, above all, the influence of neighbouring Iran, whose local consulate was set ablaze.</p>.<p>Tehran has long exercised influence over Iraq through certain political parties, as well as factions of the Hashed al-Shaabi -- a former paramilitary umbrella organisation that was folded into the Iraqi armed forces.</p>.<p>In Basra, some accuse "groups loyal to Tehran" of wielding harmful influence and of infiltrating the economic fabric.</p>.<p>One such critic refused to give his name, saying that "if it is published, I risk being killed".</p>.<p>Three years after the Basra demonstrations, little has changed, according to Mortada, who does odd jobs and dreams of working "for the state".</p>.<p>In Basra, more than in any other part of the country, a job in the petroleum sector is seen as the ultimate prize for its promise of stability and prosperity.</p>.<p>But according to Mac Skeleton, executive director of the Institute of Regional and International Studies based in Iraqi Kurdistan, jobs in Basra's petrol industry are handed out through nepotism.</p>.<p>"Each of the major Shia majority parties are competing over the Basra oil company, they're competing over the security contracts in the oil fields, for different assets," he explained.</p>.<p>But "connections" are necessary for a way in, he said, adding that "at the end of the day there is a kind of limit to how many people can benefit from these different spheres of power".</p>.<p>Some people miss out despite having connections, said Sajad, whose uncle works at the oil ministry.</p>.<p>The young man complained that his elder relative had already "accommodated two people from his family" and therefore "cannot hire me".</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>