unknown
2008-08-30 15:40:22 UTC
Half of Baghdad Lacks Drinking Water
By Kareem Abed Zair, Azzaman. Posted August 28, 2008.
Amid soaring temperatures, Baghdad's Water Authority says three
million people in Baghdad have no access to running water.
Baghdad's nearly six million people have access to half their needs of
drinking water, said Sadeq al-Shammari head of Baghdad's Water
Authority.
Shammari said practically more than three million people in Baghdad
have no access to running water.
The shortage comes amid soaring temperatures which at this time of the
year may brush 50 degrees centigrade.
The UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, has criticized the Iraqi authorities
for spending too little on public amenities at a time government
coffers are brimming with hard cash from oil sales.
"They (the government) have the resources but they are slow in
investing them," said a UNICEF official who did not want his name be
revealed.
Shammari described the shortage as critical, saying that conditions of
Baghdad's sewage system and heavy water treatment plants were even
worse.
"A few-minute interruption in power supply causes at least a
three-hour interruption in drinking water," said Shammari.
Public amenities like water facilities, sewage systems and hospitals
are not supposed to be covered by outages which may continue for up to
20 hours in Baghdad.
By Kareem Abed Zair, Azzaman. Posted August 28, 2008.
Amid soaring temperatures, Baghdad's Water Authority says three
million people in Baghdad have no access to running water.
Baghdad's nearly six million people have access to half their needs of
drinking water, said Sadeq al-Shammari head of Baghdad's Water
Authority.
Shammari said practically more than three million people in Baghdad
have no access to running water.
The shortage comes amid soaring temperatures which at this time of the
year may brush 50 degrees centigrade.
The UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, has criticized the Iraqi authorities
for spending too little on public amenities at a time government
coffers are brimming with hard cash from oil sales.
"They (the government) have the resources but they are slow in
investing them," said a UNICEF official who did not want his name be
revealed.
Shammari described the shortage as critical, saying that conditions of
Baghdad's sewage system and heavy water treatment plants were even
worse.
"A few-minute interruption in power supply causes at least a
three-hour interruption in drinking water," said Shammari.
Public amenities like water facilities, sewage systems and hospitals
are not supposed to be covered by outages which may continue for up to
20 hours in Baghdad.