Hand-over Ceremony of Water Treatment Facility to the Governorate of Al-Muthanna

December 22, 2004

1. One of five water treatment facilities provided to the Water Department of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, provided by Japan by utilizing funds for grassroots human security grant aid, has been set up in Darraji in Al-Muthanna (50km east of Samawah).
   
   
2. The hand-over ceremony for the water treatment facility took place on site in the town of Darraji on December 21, in the presence of the Deputy Chairman of the Darraji Consultative Council, and officials from the Water Department of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna from the Iraqi side, and representatives from the Samawah office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) from the Japanese side.
   
   
3. The provision of a clean and safe source of water provided through this assistance will make a contribution to improving water supply conditions in Al-Muthanna and it is expected to enhance stability of the livelihood of residents in the area.
   
   
4. As Darraji is one region that has had particular difficulty in securing a safe supply of water, the local officials and children gathered for the ceremony cheered for joy when the water came gushing forth from the water treatment facility provided on this occasion.