Including displacement and pollution.. (INA ) discusses 5 files with the International Red Cross in Iraq

BAGHDAD-INA

International Red Cross confirmed Wednesday that the area of pollution in Iraq is more than twice the size of the city of London, while noting that more than 8 million Iraqis live among the deadly remnants of war, and confirmed that 15% of the Iraqi population has a disability.

 The spokesperson for the International Red Cross in Iraq, Heba Adnan, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the International Committee of the Red Cross continues its role and is committed to contributing to sustainable recovery efforts and improving resilience," noting that "Iraq is among the countries that contain large numbers of people with disabilities, about 15 percent of the people with disabilities, equivalent to 6 million citizens, and this number is offset by a limited number of physical rehabilitation centers and the lack of therapists and trainers.

 She explained that "the Red Cross opened in mid-March a new center for physical rehabilitation in the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, with an area of 14,630 square meters, and is the largest of its kind in the country and provides a wide range of high-quality and sustainable physical rehabilitation services."

She added that "the center will be equipped to be able to provide its services annually to about 6,000 people living in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and neighboring governorates with disabilities, including Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Diyala, in addition to the displaced."

Adnan pointed out that "the value of the project's construction amounted to 5.2 million dollars, and the Ministry of Health in the Kurdistan Regional Government allocated 14'630 square meters of land for the project, which is located next to the new 120 road."

She pointed out that "the launch of the sustainable return program to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons in many areas of Iraq, and aims to assist returning families in rebuilding their lives in safe conditions, with access to basic services, as well as livelihood opportunities, as well as addressing basic protection concerns."

Adnan stated that "Iraq is one of the most contaminated countries on the planet due to explosive ordnance, as explosive remnants of war are found on more than 3,200 square kilometers of land, twice the size of the city of London. Because of that, millions of people in  Iraq is exposed to the dangers of mines and explosive remnants of war.

She added that "the ICRC strives, within the framework of its activities related to the control of weapon contamination, to spread awareness of the dangers posed by weapons, as well as to provide assistance to the victims.

She added, "The ICRC regularly supports health-care facilities throughout Iraq to help them continue to operate and meet additional needs during emergencies.

She explained, "The ICRC's efforts have been complemented by support specific to the Covid-19 pandemic, to help reduce the risk of infection for patients and medical staff , in order to improve the quality of care, the ICRC has facilitated training and continuing education for health-care workers in various fields."