Five years after Mosul was liberated from the clutches of ISIS, the task of rebuilding Iraq’s second city continues to be a challenge.
Mosul is one of the Arab world’s most historically and culturally significant cities. But by July 2017, much of it was reduced to rubble by months-long fighting between ISIS and Iraqi forces, the US and other allies. Freedom from the tyranny and violence of a terror group that had occupied the city for three years came at a high cost, with up to 11,000 civilians killed and more than 50,000 houses damaged by the end of the campaign.
At the time, the reconstruction cost for Mosul and the rest of the Nineweh province was estimated to be about $5-7 billion. Five years later, however, large parts of the city remain in disrepair. The airport lies in ruins and full-fledged hospitals are few and far between. As The National reported, a lack of funds, inefficient bureaucracy and corruption are mostly to blame.
But at the heart of Mosul’s reconstruction story, amid inadequate government support, are the resilience, dynamism and imagination of its 3 million residents, many of whom are rebuilding their homes and livelihoods with limited resources and funds, sometimes having to reach into their own pockets.
Residents such as Bassam Mohammed Hashim told The National about having to re-use bricks from damaged houses to rebuild. It is the sort of inventiveness in the face of adversity that is amply evident across the city, in all walks of life.
Fewer government jobs due to cost-cutting by the state have led young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. Wasla, a taxi-booking service, is one of almost 100 start-ups dotting the landscape today in the technology, transport, tourism, education and entertainment sectors. As Wasla’s founder, Omar Sinan, 22, said: “Entrepreneurship not only solves problems, but also creates jobs that the government can no longer offer, as well as develop the economy.”
Indeed, with its market projected to grow over the next decade, as the city is gradually rebuilt, there is plenty of space, scope and capital, particularly foreign capital, for youngsters to start their own businesses.
The revival of Mosul is a happy and hopeful reminder of generosity and shared humanity when it is needed most. Whether it is the UAE’s assistance to rebuild the city, including Al Nuri Mosque, the EU’s support for start-up incubators, and the UN Development Programme’s myriad reconstruction projects, the world has stood behind Mosul as it emerges from the rubble.
Sadly, however, the past five years have also been an indication of the Iraqi government’s inability to fulfill its responsibilities. There have been mitigating circumstances, such as a drop in oil revenue from $92bn in 2014, when ISIS captured Mosul, to $66bn in 2017, when it was liberated. That year, government revenue was $22bn short of the World Bank's estimated $88bn necessary for the nationwide post-war reconstruction. Political dysfunction in Baghdad, as it struggles to form a government, has further undermined its ability to deliver.
However, with crude prices at an all-time high today the government has a narrow window of opportunity to get its finances in order and use the funds to speed up the process of rebuilding all its devastated regions, including Mosul. Surely the last thing both Mosul and Baghdad want is a return to the kind of neglect that led to the very rise of ISIS a decade ago.
Emma Sky's Iraq essay: A tour through Iraq's side streets, seeking the country's path to peace
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
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5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
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Volvo ES90 Specs
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TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
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Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
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The specs
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INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
