Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | Daniel Enders, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Iraq,...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq— The United Nations has donated more than $500,000 to help reconstruction efforts in the Iraqi city of Taza, in response to a devastating bomb blast that leveled hundreds of homes and killed at least 80 people in late June.
To date, some 60 homes have been rebuilt with the funds, 30 homes are in the process of being rebuilt, and another 60 will soon begin construction.
The head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Iraq, Daniel Endres, visited several of these homes during his tour of the city, Sept. 8.
"We wanted to see what the community needed," said Endres. "To see if there was any complementary effort still required."
The U.N. was one of the first responders after the incident, passing out food, blankets and others supplies the day after the attack.
Each of the families in the 150 homes chosen received 3,500 dollars for reconstruction, he explained.
During Endres's visit he spoke with Mayor Talib, the Taza city mayor, who was excited at the chance to thank the U.N. for its support.
"You were the first ones to sign up and help us," he said. "Your organization did a great job in supporting and aiding our town. The support that you provided to us in reconstructing the houses and supporting the poor people gave a boost to the people of the city."
"The attack was huge, but the reaction was even greater," said Talib.
In addition to help from the U.N., the residents of Taza are also slated to receive monetary aid from the Government of Iraq.
According to Endres, the reconstruction funds from the GoI will be used to build new houses for the families whose homes were too damaged to be repaired.
U.N. funds are there to fill gaps and assist the GoI as it works to provide for its citizens, according to Endres.
After inspecting a few of the houses that are being repaired, Endres visited the blast site and recognized a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives.
While the visit provided Endres the opportunity to see the new homes, it was also a chance to see what aid the city might still need.
"It's very good for us to see what we could still do to help," he said. "We remain committed to the city of Taza."
Endres said he plans to take the information he gathered from this trip back to Baghdad with him and see how the U.N. can provide additional help to the city.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2009 14:46 |
| Story ID: | 38873 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 164 |
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