ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Residents of Mosul on Tuesday warned Iraqi officials of the spread of various diseases as the bodies of hundreds of dead Islamic State militants and civilians continue to litter the city, under rubble, with summer fast approaching.
Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq and formerly the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State in the country after it was occupied in June 2014, was significantly damaged and its reconstruction and rehabilitation has seen little progress, especially its public services.
In Oct. 2016, Iraqi forces and Shia militias in coordination with the Kurdish Peshmerga and the US-led coalition, launched a military campaign to retake the city from the jihadist group.
Mosul was liberated in July 2017, but almost two years since its liberation, the city remains in tatters - the western side having suffered the most - and residents complain of a chronic lack of basic public services.
“Up to now, there are still bodies lying under destroyed houses and buildings, and the federal government hasn’t taken any measure to remove them,” Mohammed Alla, a resident from western Mosul, told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday.
“Our ask of the government is to remove these bodies; we cannot breathe because of the stench which covers the area. People cannot even walk here. Summer is approaching and diseases will spread quickly among the people. It’s not safe,” Alla asserted, warning the Iraqi government.
Others believe that delaying the reconstruction of the city is a form of punishment against its people for embracing the Islamic State in 2014.
“In my opinion, there is a political plot to ignore the rebuilding of the right [western] side of Mosul. Why has the left [eastern] side been taken care of, to some extent, but the other side is ignored?” Ali Abbas, a resident of Mosul, asled about the little progress he has seen in the Old City.
Abbas believes the western part is being neglected despite 75 percent of economic activities originating from there prior to its fall in 2014.
Radhwan Ahmed, the head of Mosul Municipality, told Kurdistan 24 they have a plan to rebuild the western part of the city, but that progress would be “very slow,” as budget needs exceed IQD 116 billion (around $98 million) just for the clearing of debris and corpses.
“After the emergence of Da’esh [ISIS], our municipality lost over 70 percent of machines and tools it owned. They were eventually destroyed. Now, we are operating using only the 30 percent of our resources,” Ahmed claimed.
He noted that since the liberation of Mosul, 20 percent of the grand reconstruction plan had been implemented, and affirmed that the would continue but “probably at a slower pace.”
Hundreds of thousands of former Mosul inhabitants remain displaced, with most of them currently residing in camps in the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Following the liberation of the city, many displaced Mosul residents returned to their areas. However, reverse migration continues to occur as people return to the IDP camps for better access to services and security.
Security risks to their lives, a lack of basic services and utilities, and little-to-no employment opportunities are some of the leading causes forcing people to seek the safety of camps in the Kurdistan Region.
Editing by Nadia Riva
(Additional reporting by Mahir Shingali)