Violence melts last remaining pleasures in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Aug 20 (Reuters) It was one of Baghdad's last remaining pleasures, but even eating ice-cream is now too risky.

''I have brought my family just once this season. Each year is worse than the last,'' said Abdul Rasoul Majeed, a 40-year old civil servant, savouring a rare vanilla ice-cream in Al -Ballut, a usually popular parlour in central Baghdad.

Bombs and bloodshed drove Iraqis from the streets, parks and playgrounds of their capital long ago. But they kept coming out for ice-cream, at least until February, when a spasm of sectarian violence pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.

''Before the war it was very good. We used to open the shop until three in the morning. Now, we close it at nine. Even two years ago was better, when the curfew began at 11 pm,'' said Wail Zuhair, the 25-year-old behind Ballut's counter.

Located in the busy commercial district of Karrada, the business has been further hurt by a spate of recent car bombings in the neighbourhood, which is religiously mixed and used to be seen as relatively safe.

''People avoid gathering, especially to buy ice-cream. It simply isn't worth it. Customers now stay for a few minutes, just to finish their ice-cream, and then go. Before, they would stay for an hour or more,'' Zuhair said.

No surprise then that demand has collapsed. The parlour is using about 100 kg of powdered milk a day compared with up to 500 kg before the war, he said.

Soaring inflation since the US-led invasion in 2003 has only made matters worse, said Ahmed Salah, who buys ingredients and makes the ice-cream at al-Faqma, one of the best known parlours in the city.

''Before it was 17 cents and now it is 50 cents,'' he said, citing the cost of a simple cone.

Profit margins are also being squeezed by the rising cost of ingredients and ever-more expensive fuel to keep the electricity generators running and the ice-cream cold.

A 50 kg sack of sugar now costs around 31 dollars compared with under 20 dollars before the war, while the cost of black market fuel has more than doubled since last year.

As a result, the business is barely keeping its head above water and the temptation to relocate to Kurdistan, a much safer region in northern Iraq, is strong.

''Kurdish businessmen have offered us work there. We are discussing this possibility because here, there is no profit.

What we earn, we spend on materials and gasoline,'' Salah said.

''But we will not close this shop. This is the source of our reputation, and it provides a living for 40 or more families.'' REUTERS LL RK1420