IRAQ: USAID continuing projects to revitalize Batnaya and other Chaldean–Syrian–Assyrian towns in Nineveh Plains
BATNAYA, Iraq — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian town of Batnaya with two power generators plus supplies.
Following Batnaya’s liberation from the Islamic State, life in the town has been slow to return to normal. To enhance community stability and facilitate the return of Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian to their homes, USAID, in cooperation with the Mayor of Tel Keppe and the Economic Development Organization, implemented several service projects in the region to reconstruct infrastructure and improve the provision of economic and other services.
Among the projects implemented by USAID and its partners projects was the establishment of a secondary electricity network — two generators with additional supplies — to provide electricity when main power sources are not available. The locations of the generators were chosen to deliver back-up electrical power to as many residents as possible at the lowest cost.
The project aims to improve the living conditions of the residents of Batnaya and encourage the displaced families to return to the town. It also facilitates the work of shop owners, which creates new job opportunities for families returning to the town, since electricity is one of the daily essential services for people.
The residents of Batnaya expressed their gratitude for the project, saying that, even after years of being free of the Islamic State, few government resources have been spent to reconstruct the town.
USAID has undertaken a number of projects in Batnaya and other towns in Nineveh Plains (Doshto D’Ninveh).