'We collected 6.5 billion dinars to compensate flash flood victims': Erbil Governor

Dler S. Mohammed 2021/12/29 15:11

Flash flooding in the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil, Dec 17, 2021. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Kurdistan Omed Khoshnaw Erbil Governor Erbil Flash Flooding 2021

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw announced on Wednesday that the compensation process for damage caused by the first flash flooding in the Kurdish capital on Oct. 10 is complete.

"In Erbil's first flash flooding, 314 vehicles were damaged, as were a large number of houses," Khoshnaw told a press conference.

The official said that 4.460 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $3 million) were collected to compensate the flash flooding victims. Out of this figure, 3 billion dinars (approximately $2 million) were provided by the Iraqi government, 500 million dinars (approximately $340,000) by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and 220 million dinars ($150,000) by the Barzani Charity Foundation.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani provided 1.393 billion dinars (approximately $950,000).

Additional funds were provided by Baz Karim, the CEO of KAR Group, which provided 450 million Iraqi dinars (approximately $300,000). Nankaly Charity Organization gave 100 million dinars (approximately $68,000). Aram Village Project provided $50,000, and Ali Bazaz gave $10,000.

"At the beginning of the crisis, we estimated the damages to be around 3 billion dinars, but later the cost of the damages reached more than 5 billion dinars," Khoshnaw said.

He estimated the cost of the damage caused by Erbil's second flash flooding on Dec. 17 to be 21 billion dinars (about $14 million).

"Now our teams are in the middle of the process of compensating the victims," he said.

Khoshnaw revealed that 3,276 compensation forms were filled out by residents affected by the Dec. 17 flooding.

"The damages include damage to furniture, damage to houses, and damage to vehicles," he said.

"The furniture of 2,717 houses was completely destroyed, the structure of 375 houses was damaged, and 1,026 vehicles were damaged," he added.

So far, 6.5 billion dinars (approximately $4.45 million) has been collected to compensate victims of that disaster.

"We rejected the 2 billion dinars that the Iraqi government sent, and we hope that the Iraqi government reviews its decision because the damage caused by the flash flooding is way more than that amount," Khoshnaw said.

He added that 3 billion dinars (approximately $2 million) in the form of first aid and ready-to-eat food reached the victims in the first few days following the flash flooding. That aid was provided by the Erbil Province Crisis Center, Barzani Charity Organization, and the Rwanga Foundation.

"Our teams are still looking for the two missing bodies, and I hope they will find them soon," Khoshnaw said. "I would like to thank all the government offices, charity organizations, and the private sector companies for their hard work and financial contributions to help the victims of the flash flooding."

Post-rain flooding is a perennial issue in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole, caused in large part by insufficient infrastructure, including inefficient or poorly-maintained rural or urban rainwater management and sewage systems.