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Nearly three months since Iraqis went to the polls to cast their ballots in a parliamentary election, a new government is yet to be announced — and the wait might be long.

Where things stand: With no party or bloc able to secure an outright majority in the May 12 vote, political leaders in the country began negotiations over the formation of a governing coalition.The process, however, has been put on hold due to a manual recount of votes that was called on in June following allegations of rigging. As soon as the final results are announced, the blocs will begin scrambling to announce their coalition partners.

Uncertainty persists, however, as the two Shia blocs that won the most parliamentary seats in the initial count — the Sairoon Alliance led by Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr and the Fateh bloc led by Hadi al-Amiri — remain at loggerheads.

On June 13, Sadr, who opposes Iranian involvement in Iraq, and al-Amiri announced a surprise alliance. But speaking to Al Jazeera, Fateh's spokesperson Ahmed al-Assadi denied that an official partnership with Sairoon had been forged.

Analysts say this lack of unity now places the ball in the court of Sunni and Kurdish parties. The decision by these parties over which of the two opposing Shia fronts to join will be crucial in the formation of the majority bloc — and the eventual naming of the country's next prime minister.

Go deeper: Read the full Al Jazeera report.

Uncertainty reigns three months after Iraq's election

Once the recount ends, the scrambling will begin

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (R) with Moqtada al-Sadr. Photo: Haidar Hamdani/AFP/Getty

World

Iraq

Nearly three months since Iraqis went to the polls to cast their ballots in a parliamentary election, a new government is yet to be announced — and the wait might be long.Where things stand: With no party or bloc able to secure an outright majority in the May 12 vote, political leaders in the country began negotiations over the formation of a governing coalition.The process, however, has been put on hold due to a manual recount of votes that was called on in June following allegations of rigging. As soon as the final results are announced, the blocs will begin scrambling to announce their coalition partners.

BAGHDAD — Of the 2 million Iraqis forced to flee their homes since 2014, as military operations and ISIS  attacks escalated, many now find they have nothing to go back to.

Children at Al-Khadra IDP camp with Leen, 12, holding a photo of her sister who died when they first arrived in Baghdad. Photo: Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera

Why it matters:  Following the victory over ISIS last year, families in camps like al-Khadra  near Baghdad, home to about 100 internally displaced Iraqis, were expected to go home. But the devastation, poverty and  a lack of services in the recaptured areas forced many to choose the lesser of two evils and stay in the camp.

"I visited my home three months ago,  but everything was destroyed," says Hend Ali of Anbar province. "The walls and windows are gone. The foundations [of the house] are gone. It's just part of the roof that remains."

"I came back to the camp because there  was nothing [in Anbar]," she says. "No water, no electricity, and no work. …  If there were basic services, we'd  return from tomorrow, even if it means that we sustain ourselves by eating grass.”

Dalya Ali, a 31-year-old mother  of five, says: "I went back to Fallujah a few months ago. I was forced to live in a tent for three months because everything is gone. It was too much to bear with no water and no place to live, so I came back."

The bottom line:  For the Iraqi government, the challenging situation for internally displaced persons will not be resolved until the recaptured areas are rebuilt. Yet, this is a mammoth task, one that is tied to Baghdad receiving more support from the international community. "With so many crises in the region, funds from regional and international donors have shrunk," says Sattar Nawroz, a spokesperson for the migration and displacement ministry.

Go deeper: Read  the full report on Al Jazeera.

Displaced Iraqis find nothing to return to after ISIS defeat

"If there were basic services, we'd return tomorrow"

BAGHDAD — Of the 2 million Iraqis forced to flee their homes since 2014, as military operations and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ISIS" data-vars-click-url="https://www.aljazeera.com/topics/organisations/isis-isil.html" data-vars-content-id="330e830a-3ff7-4fb2-aadc-59aafd878914" data-vars-headline="Displaced Iraqis find nothing to return to after ISIS defeat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/topics/organisations/isis-isil.html" target="_blank">ISIS</a> attacks escalated, many now find they have nothing to go back to.<figure><img alt="" height="413" id="55ccb08c-a7ce-4d1a-a6a9-9b660ec47d2c" src="https://images.axios.com/TTt8nuNpaWRnSdru1cxpCeJ1Pxo=/2018/07/31/1533060776198.png" width="734"/><figcaption>Children at Al-Khadra IDP camp with Leen, 12, holding a photo of her sister who died when they first arrived in Baghdad. Photo: Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera</figcaption></figure>Why it matters: Following the victory over ISIS last year, families in camps like al-Khadra near Baghdad, home to about 100 internally displaced Iraqis, were expected to go home. But the devastation, poverty and a lack of services in the recaptured areas forced many to choose the lesser of two evils and stay in the camp.

BAGHDAD — Power shortages have become endemic in Iraq — a country wrecked by a series of conflicts that have devastated its infrastructure — forcing Iraqis to buy electricity from private entrepreneurs who run power generators that can be seen on most street corners.

Why it matters: The problem was exacerbated last month after Iran stopped supplying electricity to Iraq because of unpaid bills. Protests over the shortages, lack of jobs and services and corruption have since rocked areas of southern Iraq, as well as parts of Baghdad. While those who can afford it pay an average of 125,00 dinars (approximately $100) a month to make up for the cuts, for many poor and working-class Iraqis, buying electricity is not an option.

From her television to her fridge, Umm Adil's electric appliances have become useless. "Sometimes, I even forget having them," she says. "I can't use the fridge," she adds, opening its door to empty out some food that went bad overnight. "I have to make just enough food for a single meal, otherwise, it goes off," she adds.

But it is not just such inconveniences that make life for many Iraqis difficult. Chronic power shortages make Umm Adil feel paralysed in the face of emergency situations and hopeless about a better future for her family. "The other day my son fell ill. With the phone's battery uncharged, I couldn't call [my husband] so I had to take my son to hospital alone," she says.

While power outages differ from one neighbourhood to the next — with some households receiving only four hours of electricity a day and others up to 20 — an alternative power supply is needed when the lights go off. This has created a huge demand, making the ownership of private generators a very lucrative business.

Where things stand: Successive electricity ministers have been sacked over corruption or forced to quit in the face of angry protests. “There isn't a genuine will in the ministry or the government to address the issue,” says Mushtaq al-Shimaly, head of the energy committee in Baghdad's provincial council. “If there was, things would have been a lot different by now."

Go deeper: Read the full report on Al Jazeera.

Electricity cuts across Iraq make life unbearable in summer heat

Little electricity, and no shortage of anger

A man checks on makeshift electrical wiring in Baghdad. Photo: Sabah Arar / AFP

BAGHDAD — Power shortages have become endemic in Iraq — a country wrecked by a series of conflicts that have devastated its infrastructure — forcing Iraqis to buy electricity from private entrepreneurs who run power generators that can be seen on most street corners.Why it matters: The problem was exacerbated last month after Iran stopped supplying electricity to Iraq because of unpaid bills. Protests over the shortages, lack of jobs and services and corruption have since rocked areas of southern Iraq, as well as parts of Baghdad. While those who can afford it pay an average of 125,00 dinars (approximately $100) a month to make up for the cuts, for many poor and working-class Iraqis, buying electricity is not an option.

Iraq's agricultural and farming sectors have suffered by a prolonged reduction of water levels in rivers Photo: Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera

Radwaniya, Iraq — The Tigris today is far shallower than it was a year ago, and for farmers in Iraq, that's a catastrophe. 

Why it matters: Increasingly erratic rainfall across the region, along with the construction of dams in upstream Turkey and Iran, have all reduced the amount of water flowing in the key rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates by at least 50% in recent decades, according to Iraqi government officials. Abdel Rahman al-Mashhadani, an economic expert, says a large number of people have migrated from rural areas to the cities as a result of the water shortages. "Our urban areas are imploding and unemployment is on the rise," he says.

The prolonged reduction of water levels in rivers slashes electricity generation from hydroelectric dams, which, in turn, affects the water supply for agriculture and eventually forces the country to import more food than it already does. The increasingly dry seasons have not only resulted in reduced rainfall, but also made the water that is available salty and unsuitable for farming. 

According to Zafer Abdullah, an adviser to Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources, Iraq has "only enough water to irrigate half of its farmland this summer." Consequently, the government has now banned the plantation of summer crops, including corn and paddy rice cultivation.

Abdelrahman Mansour, 23, says he was left with no choice but to abandon farming and become a construction worker. "We tried to keep our farms alive and well, but the salt water has killed everything," he says.

Omar Di'ibil, 35, has been a farmer in Radwaniya, on the outskirts of Baghdad, all his life — just like his father and grandfather before him. Like many others across the country, this year's crippling water shortage has left him able to grow just a few hectares of wheat and barley. Soon, he says, there won't be enough water to grow anything on his once-fertile lands.

What to watch: Turkey and Iran are already holding back water from the Tigris and Euphrates to feed their growing population in a warming climate. Unless new deals are reached, this situation will only get worse, especially after Turkey began holding back water behind its Ilisu Dam on July 1, say officials.

Iraq's farmers hit hard by water shortages

Many farmers forced to move to cities and become laborers.

<figure><img alt="" height="399" id="963b335e-8500-4172-8a2a-7c3f78948204" src="https://images.axios.com/ZYc7IPfJhoie3Q2MU40mqp1qhX8=/2018/08/08/1533743763083.png" width="709"/><figcaption>Iraq&#x27;s agricultural and farming sectors have suffered by a prolonged reduction of water levels in rivers Photo: Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera</figcaption></figure>Radwaniya, Iraq — The Tigris today is far shallower than it was a year ago, and for farmers in Iraq, that&#x27;s a catastrophe. Why it matters: Increasingly erratic rainfall across the region, along with the construction of dams in upstream Turkey and Iran, have all reduced the amount of water flowing in the key rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates by at least 50% in recent decades, according to Iraqi government officials. Abdel Rahman al-Mashhadani, an economic expert, says a large number of people have migrated from rural areas to the cities as a result of the water shortages. &quot;Our urban areas are imploding and unemployment is on the rise,&quot; he says.

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Arwa Ibrahim of Al Jazeera

Stories

Uncertainty reigns three months after Iraq's election

Iraq's farmers hit hard by water shortages

Electricity cuts across Iraq make life unbearable in summer heat

Displaced Iraqis find nothing to return to after ISIS defeat