West Mosul residents start clearing rubble and repairing their city

Record ID: 904746

  • Title: West Mosul residents start clearing rubble and repairing their city
  • Date: 31st July 2017
  • Summary: WEST MOSUL, IRAQ (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STREET / DAMAGED STORES IN WEST MOSUL MAN WORKING ON POWER LINES FROM HYDRAULIC CRANE MAN IN HYDRAULIC CRANE BEING LOWERED TO GROUND VARIOUS OF DIGGER CLEARING DEBRIS FROM SIDE OF A STREET VARIOUS OF MEN SHOVELLING DEBRIS FROM SIDE OF STREET MEN SWEEPING DEBRIS FROM SIDE OF STREET AS FEDERAL POLICE WALK BY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF NINEVEH SEWAGE SYSTEM COUNCIL, AHMAD AMER, SAYING: "We are repairing the damage caused by the battles that took place in the western side [of Mosul]. The percentage of damage caused to the sewage system in the west is more than 80 percent. The repairs depend on the amount of support and the provision of funding and specialised equipment for the Nineveh Council, which suffers from a great shortage, we only have 10 percent of our machinery for the repair work." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON STREET FULL OF RUBBLE, WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF WEST MOSUL, OMAR, SAYING: "When we first came back the Federal Police were in the streets, they would not let anyone out as a security precaution, because there were some locations with explosives and unexploded mortars. It was not completely secure. They [the forces] cleared the area, then they allowed us back into our areas." VARIOUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN WALKING DOWN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF WEST MOSUL, SALEH, SAYING: "The economic situation of citizens is now bad, there is no work, the stores are destroyed. If the stores on this street and the Dawasah area reopen, life will return to normal in this street. Even services, the government must then come and repair them." VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDINGS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET WITH DESTROYED BUILDINGS TRUCK ON STREET WITH DESTROYED BUILDINGS DAMAGED BUILDING FACADES
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2017 15:17
  • Keywords: rebuilding IS damage ISIS clearing Islamic State sewage destruction in Mosul repairing Mosul
  • Location: WEST MOSUL, IRAQ
  • City: WEST MOSUL, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016S1T3K7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: After nine months of fighting, some West Mosul residents have begun clearing rubble from the streets and repairing essential services and damaged buildings.
    With the city back in government hands, hundreds of people have been heading back to their homes. Workers have started repairing power lines and clearing debris from the streets.
    But the lack of basic services has deterred many others from returning. A member of Nineveh province's sewage council said 80 percent of the city's sewage system was damaged in the fighting, with little prospect of support and funding to fix it.
    Homemade bombs and explosives have been left by Islamic State in Mosul's houses, schools, mosques and streets, although security forces cleared areas before letting residents back.
    By targeting civilians, Islamic State hopes to thwart a stabilisation effort aiming to get people back to their homes, jobs and studies, rebuild infrastructure and reinstate government rule.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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