Grassroots Human Security Grant Aid to Iraq (Governorate of Al-Muthanna including Samawah)

January 18, 2005

On January 18, the Government of Japan decided to extend to the Wells Department of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna a grassroots human security grant aid of about 220,000 dollars in total (about 24 million yen) to cope with water shortages in the Governorate including Samawah.
On January 17, two water treatment facilities out of the six provided to the Water Department of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna by utilizing the fund extended by the Grassroots Human Security Aid to Iraq were installed in Samawah.
The signing of the Grant Contract for the well-digging project and the presentation ceremony for these two water treatment facilities were held from 16:00 (10:00 local time) on January 18 (Tue) at the installation site in Samawah, and were attended on the Japanese side by the officials and staff members concerned of the Liaison Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force in Samawah, and on the Iraqi side by the Chairman of the Samawah Council, the Deputy Director of the Water Department, the Director of the Wells Department of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, and others.
Under this project, four wells will be dug in Busayyah, about 200km south of Samawah, a desert area in the Governorate where water is particularly hard to get. It is expected that this project will make it easier for about 17,000 residents in Busayyah to get water, thus stabilizing their livelihood.

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