The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grassroots human security grant aid for the Project for Provision of Equipment for Asphalt Pavement in Al-Samawah, Governorate of Al-Muthanna, Iraq. In light of the completion of the road rehabilitation work in Al-Majid and Albu Khder, on July 7, a ceremony to sign a grant contract and a completion ceremony were held at the etape of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces in Samawah. The event was attended by the Acting Director of the Department of Samawah Municipality, the Director of the Department of Al-Majid, the Director of the Road and Bridge Department of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, and others.
Details of each project are as follows:
(1) The Project for Provision of Equipment for Asphalt Pavement in Al-Samawah: $930,000 (about 99.5 million yen)
Samawah, the central city of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, through which passes National Route 8, the main highway in southern Iraq, suffers heavy traffic and severe damage to its roads. The Department of Samawah Municipality, however, lacks the road construction equipment necessary to conduct long-term repairs of the damaged roads, resulting in delays in road repair and paving, traffic jams and other problems.
Providing the Department with equipment for laying asphalt pavement, this aid will enable it to carry out long-term paving. It is expected that road repair and paving work in Samawah will be accelerated.
(2) Completion of Two Road Repair Projects
(a) The Project for Rehabilitation of Roads in Al-Majid
$205,628 (about 22.6 million yen)
About 35,000 people live in Al-Majid, about 8 km northwest of Samawah. Because many of the community roads are dirt and poor in quality, it is difficult in the rainy season for such vehicles as ambulances and water tank trucks and for school children and other residents to get through, greatly hampering the maintenance of even the minimum living standard in aspects such as water supply, medicine and education and also economic and social activities including the transportation of basic necessities and food in surrounding areas.
With this aid, which will repair roads in the most severely damaged areas in central Al-Majid (a total of 1.26 km), it is expected to contribute to improving the lives of Al-Majid citizens and the welfare and stability of the community.
(b) The Project for Repair of Albu Khder in Al-Muthanna: $591,500 (about 65,100,000 yen)
The Albu Khder Road, which connects Al-Warka in Al-Muthanna (about 17km north of Samawah) and Ar-Rumaitha (about 25km north-northwest of Samawah), serves as a community road for about 200,000 residents in the areas through which the road passes. A large part of the road is unmetalled and poor in quality, making it hard in the rainy season for such vehicles as ambulances and water tank trucks and for school children and other residents to get through and greatly hampering the maintenance of even the minimum living standard in aspects such as water supply, medicine and education and also economic and social activities including the transportation of basic necessities and food in the area.
The aid, which will repair a part of the Albu Khder Road (6.5 km in total), is expected to help improve the lives of the people in areas on either side of the road and the welfare and stabilization of the local community.
Basic infrastructure of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna is particularly under-developed compared with other parts of the country by reason of such factors as oppression under the former government, the economy battered by the war with Iran, and the economic sanctions after the Gulf War. Roads and bridges are therefore in extremely poor condition, hampering the smooth traffic of water tank trucks or emergency vehicles and directly affecting people's daily lives. Roads used by students for their commute also need to be improved. The series of aid extended this time is expected to improve road conditions in the Governorate and administrative services including water supply for local residents, medicine and education.