WF-AID currently supports many projects in Iraq, one of which is a housing project for victims of civil unrest. We have a history of supporting housing projects all over the world, including Iraq over the past 40 years.
For this housing project, we will be working with our agency which is affiliated with the office of Grand Maraje Ayatullah Sistani. Our agency has experience in these kinds of projects, having already built 300 homes for those in need.
Dr Asgar Moledina, who was the President during the launch of this project said “The project for the internally displaced people in Iraq was initiated in December 2015 when we realised that there were over 3.3 million internally displaced people in Iraq. Also, when we met His Eminence Ayatullah Sistani he expressed the need for housing these people and we thought we could do something in this regard. That’s why together with Al Ayn Foundation, we have now got a plot within the outskirts of Kerbala. It is a flat land where at the moment, electricity and water services are being organised and we hope to embark on building 100 homes for 100 families as a start.”
This housing project will provide temporary accommodation to 100 families, with 6-8 people living in each home. The land, which we have secured just outside the Holy city of Kerbala, cost a total of $1.3m and construction has already begun. We are expecting the buildings to be ready within a short time frame so the families can begin moving in.
We are hoping to use this project as an example to other NGOs, Government Agencies and charities and will organise for a delegation, later this year, to visit Southern Iraq to encourage more international assistance to be given from other international NGOs and agencies. We are harnessing a strong spirit of unity and togetherness with our NGO counterparts in order to expand the level of aid work in Southern Iraq.
