DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) has completed preparations for two water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects in Iraqi Kurdistan to support the Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqis.
The projects worth $2.25m are funded by Unicef and QRC.
Under the first, a sewerage network, sanitary facilities and toilets will be established in Block B of Qushtapa Syrian refugee camp in Erbil. The second involves establishing a permanent water storage and distribution system in Ashti Iraqi refugee camp in Sulaymaniyah.
The projects will serve 6,285 Syrians in Qushtapa, 40 percent of whom are children, and 7,319 Iraqis in Ashti.
QRC and Unicef have completed several joint projects for Syrian refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan, costing over $2.34m to improve their condition inside refugee camps until they are able to return home.
Among the projects were clean water delivery systems at Dar Shukran and Arbat refugee camps, with a budget of $793,000. In Dar Shukran camp, QRC procured and installed 500 solar-powered water heaters to meet daily hot water needs of 10,000 inhabitants, providing 50 litres per family. The project also covered the camp’s school, clinic and administrative units.
In Arbat, the city of Sulaymaniyah, a pipeline network was built to provide clean drinking water for 2,560 Syrian refugees, as well as a school, clinic and administrative units.
Another water pipeline was laid in Block C to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and ensure fair distribution of drinking water.
In Qushtapa, 20km away to the west of the region’s capital, QRC office built 728 sanitary facilities, installed 24 20-cubic- metre water tanks and laid a 2,180-metre polyethylene pipeline for the Syrian refugees in Block C. The cost was over $1.28m, 60 percent of which was paid by Unicef and 30 percent by QRC, which was also responsible for the execution. Under its Warm Winter 2014-15 campaign in Iraqi Kurdistan, QRC distributed winter aid worth $219,178 to 5,088 most-vulnerable families (25,440 people) with widows, children, elderly and people with disabilities.
The Peninsula
