The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned Filipinos in Iraq on Saturday to stay home as violent protests in the country have left scores dead.

In a statement, the DFA advised Filipinos in the country to avoid demonstration areas and were also instructed to store food and water and call the Philippine embassy in Baghdad should they need help.

Their relatives have been told to relay the DFA’s advisory to them since communications in Iraq have been problematic.

To recall, at least 93 people have been killed and nearly 4,000 wounded, as protests spread to cities across southern Iraq, the parliamentary human rights commission said.

The largely spontaneous protests over chronic unemployment and poor public services that erupted in Baghdad on Tuesday have escalated into a broader movement demanding an end to official corruption and a change of government.