USAID: USD190 million needed for Mosul reconstruction
Internally displaced persons flee to Debaga camp in Erbil Governorate, northern Iraq, as Mosul assault is underway. Photo: UNHCR/Ivor Prickett
Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) The reconstruction of the city of Mosul will require USD190 million as damage inflicts 40% of the city, USAID officials said.
That amount is susceptible to change due to the continuity of battles in the city, AlMada Press reported, quoting USAID Director of Governance and Economic Opportunity during a press conference at the US embassy in Iraq on Monday.
The United States paid the largest portion of USD470 million offered by the United Nations refugee agencies, offered since October for spending until 2018 on humanitarian assistance to refugees, said Nehrbass.
According to the official, the amount will be spent on the rehabilitation of schools, medical units, potable water, scavenging and other basic services. He added that the return of refugees to their residences will not be an easy task due to booby-traps and landmines as well as the need to screen returnees.
The agency’s disaster assistance, Harlen Hale, spoke during the conference to point out that the extent of damages in Nineveh differs from one region to another, adding that in the case of Mosul, the damage stands between 25-40% of the city.
The battles between Islamic State militants and Iraqi government forces seeking to recapture the city since October have driven 73000 out of their homes, according to statistics from the International Organization of Migration. The battles have also hampered basic services and