The Canadian embassy in Iraq provided assistance to 7,500 victims of floods in Erbil and Kirkuk, the head of its Erbil office, Yves Duval, told the city’s governor Omed Khoshnaw in a meeting.
Canada granted “a contribution” to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help the victims, which will enable the IFRC to “provide food and non-food items to the families,” a statement from the embassy read.
“Our response is meant to provide immediate and tangible relief to the victims of floods,” Duval noted in the statement. “The assistance is particularly needed as we are entering the cold season.”
The governor thanked Canada for its assistance in a statement following the meeting.In a meeting today the Head of Erbil Office informed Governor @OmedXoshnaw_ that Canada has granted a contribution to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide relief to 7,500 victims of floods following heavy rainfalls that slammed #Erbil and Kirkuk last month. #KRI pic.twitter.com/wcLpyDmB12
— Canada in Iraq (@CanadainIraq) January 10, 2022
Several of Erbil’s neighborhoods suffered from heavy flooding on December 17, affecting several southeastern neighborhoods and sub-districts in the province, with the floodwater flowing downstream from the capital to Kirkuk. The floods took the lives of twelve people, including a ten-month-old baby, whose body is still missing, and two foreigners.
Khoshnaw stated that 826 families were affected by the floods, while 314 cars were damaged.
The Minister of Municipality and Tourism at the time assessed the cost of damages caused by the second flood as more than 21 billion dinars (over $14 million).
Erbil province often faces severe floods in the colder seasons of the year. Nearly 600 houses suffered material damage and stalling vehicles blocked flooded main roads in the first strong rainfall of the year in late October.
The city's residents and top officials have collectively allocated millions of dollars to those who were affected by both floods. The Iraqi government allocated two billion dinars ($1.3 million) towards flood prevention in the Kurdistan Region, but the figure was “totally rejected” by Khoshnaw, who called on Baghdad to revise the decision and increase the amount.
