Kuwait seeks USD18 bn for Iraq through donors conference
President Barack Obama meets with Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, outside the Oval Office, August 3, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Kuwait seeks USD18 billion from donors for Iraq’s reconstruction
during a conference slated for next month, a newspaper quoted Kuwaiti government sources saying.
London-based The New Arab quoted the sources saying that donor states will deliver speeches on the second day of the conference (slated between February 12th and 14th) to pronounce the size of their contributions, adding that while Kuwait expects donations worth USD18 billion, Kuwait’s own share will range between USD100-150 million.
According to the sources, the number of participating states will probably near 42, all gathered to assist the Iraqi government in its efforts to rehabilitate more than 200 damaged regions.
Earlier this week, the Iraqi government said it had earmarked IQD248 billion (USD208.320 million) for the reconstruction of areas damaged by the war against Islamic State militants since 2014.
Mostafa al-Hiti, head of the Reconstruction Fund for Areas Affected by Terrorist Operations (REEFATO), told Iraqi newspaper al-Sabah that areas included within the fund’s operations include Anbar, Salahuddin, Nineveh, parts of Diyala, Kirkuk, northern Babil and the Baghdad Belt.
A spokesperson of the Iraqi cabinet said earlier that the country was in need for USD100 billion for reconstruction efforts.
Iraq’s war against Islamic State militants, which started with the emergence of the group in 2014 until the declaration of its defeat last December, has dealt severe damage to the country’s infrastructure and displaced millions of civilians.