Poor municipal services worsen Iraqi living conditions

[Barrett808]

Source: IRIN

BAGHDAD, 6 June 2007 (IRIN) - Corruption, neglect and insurgent attacks have left Iraq's public services in tatters, residents and officials say. Limited electricity and drinking water are the main problems, causing disease and frustration.

"We have one or two hours a day of electricity at best. Sometimes we have no electricity for two or three days. And it has become normal for us to wake up in the morning and find no water in the taps," Alwan, a father of three and government employee living in Baghdad, said.

Alwan said that because of rising fuel and maintenance costs, he can only run his small generator for a few hours a day, forcing him to buy electricity from the black market instead.

"Now, I'm buying 10 amperes from the neighbourhood generator for a monthly price of US $12 an ampere. This gives me seven hours of electricity a day and enables me to use fans, a small refrigerator and a small air conditioner for one room."

Read more: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVOD-73WH26?OpenDocument

[BOSSHOG]

1. Hey is this why we haven't been greeted as liberators?

[Brigid]

2. I didn't know . . .

Iraq had any municipal services left. :(

This war is really working out well for the Iraqi people, don't you think? :sarcasm:

[libodem]

3. We need to be kicking in the doors

and delivering food boxes and bottled water. Not dragging dad and the boys off to jail. Ya know, what else burns me, is that really strands the mom and little girls. The more fundamental Iraq becomes the less freedom females will have to be on the streets alone to go to school or to shop for food. That is if they can get out of the house at all, considering the curfews. Can you imagine dying of water-bourne illness. Having diarrhea until it kills you. No wonder the death rates are up for civilians from non-combat reasons.