In Saladin province, 1,173 families were displaced by flooding as of Tuesday, the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) in Iraq said in a statement on Wednesday. Villages along the Tigris River between Baiji and Samarra were the areas of critical concern. OCHA, in coordination with the Iraqi government, is planning aid for 12,000 families in the province.
“Local authorities in Saladin compelled a number of residents from 100 families in villages to evacuate,” the Iraqi Red Crescent Society confirmed.
OCHA said they also need to prepare a contingency plan in case of cholera.
Dramatic photos continue to emerge from the central governorates of the effects of heavy #rains & #flooding. @OCHAIraq is continuously monitoring the situation and working on a #flashupdate. Pictured: Fendi Villiage in #SalahalDin; Photo courtesy of Sorough SSDF (@albazi_ihsan) pic.twitter.com/gExPApk007
— OCHA Iraq (@OCHAIraq) April 3, 2019
In Kirkuk, 60 families were displaced from their homes in the Hawija area where the Zab River has flooded, according to OCHA.
In Sulaimani, landslides have damaged bridges and roads.
Provinces downstream have also been affected.
A bridge in Maysan province collapsed on Tuesday. “The Tayib bridge collapsed due to incoming flood waters from Iran,” Jawad al-Saadi, deputy head of Maysan Provincial Council, told Rudaw.
The bridge was built by locals using “primitive means” and was not structurally sound, he added.
“Rain floods don’t constitute any dangers as of now,” he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi on Tuesday said his government is managing the problem – storing and draining the water – and reassured the public that the situation is under control, praising the response of his ministries and provincial governments. He also claimed the extent of the flooding and damage has been exaggerated.
Those living in the path of the flood waters, however, accused the government of abandoning them.
"It is the third day. The state has not come to our aid or anything… The state doesn't care about us. Aren't we Iraqis? Why doesn't it come to our aid? Where do we go? Should we go outside Iraq? Then make us passports!" said a farmer in Saladin.
In Mosul, which is still grieving after 100 people died when a ferry capsized in the fast-flowing Tigris on Newroz, authorities closed five main bridges but have issued reassurances that Mosul Dam is safe, OCHA stated.
Kurdistan Region’s Dukan Lake, for the first time since 1988, reached the dam’s bell mouth spillway on Tuesday afternoon. Rivan Burhan, an engineer at the dam, told Rudaw they have increased the amount of water they are releasing to 350 cubic metres per second as a precaution. The water level will not cause a “great danger,” he said.
Wednesday saw more heavy rain and more is forecast for Friday.
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