Iraq compensates 43 families hit by November 2017 earthquake
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Baghdad has compensated 43 families of Darbandikhan affected by the November 2017 earthquake.
On Sunday a delegation from Baghdad went to Darbandikhan to meet and compensate some of the earthquake-affected people.
“Last year after the earthquake, we delivered some urgent help to the earthquake-affected people in Darbandikhan including distributing fuel, blankets. Today 43 families who lost their sheep and cows received a total compensation of 100 million Iraqi dinars,” Darbaz Muhammad, Iraq’s Minister for Displacement and Migration, told Rudaw.
On November 12, 2017, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Kurdistan Region and neighboring countries. The earthquake resulted in considerable damage to private and public buildings. Ten people were killed and more than 500 injured, mainly in the areas of Darbandikhan, Halabja, Kalar, and Khanaqin.
“More than 2,000 houses were damaged by the earthquake and we did not have enough budget to provide compensation at that time. We will try to compensate those whose houses damaged during the earthquake. I will work on it, but this is something that the ministerial cabinet of the federal government has to decide on,” Mohammad added.
The Darbandikhan’s dam also suffered damage in the earthquake. It is currently holding more than one billion square meters of water – roughly a third of its three billion square-meter capacity. The dam is an important source of water for agriculture in parts of Garmian, Diyala, and Hamrin.
“The Iraqi ministry of water resources has worked on the damages on the Darbandikhan dam and now there is not any danger regarding the dam,” Mohammad said.
On Sunday a delegation from Baghdad went to Darbandikhan to meet and compensate some of the earthquake-affected people.
“Last year after the earthquake, we delivered some urgent help to the earthquake-affected people in Darbandikhan including distributing fuel, blankets. Today 43 families who lost their sheep and cows received a total compensation of 100 million Iraqi dinars,” Darbaz Muhammad, Iraq’s Minister for Displacement and Migration, told Rudaw.
On November 12, 2017, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Kurdistan Region and neighboring countries. The earthquake resulted in considerable damage to private and public buildings. Ten people were killed and more than 500 injured, mainly in the areas of Darbandikhan, Halabja, Kalar, and Khanaqin.
“More than 2,000 houses were damaged by the earthquake and we did not have enough budget to provide compensation at that time. We will try to compensate those whose houses damaged during the earthquake. I will work on it, but this is something that the ministerial cabinet of the federal government has to decide on,” Mohammad added.
The Darbandikhan’s dam also suffered damage in the earthquake. It is currently holding more than one billion square meters of water – roughly a third of its three billion square-meter capacity. The dam is an important source of water for agriculture in parts of Garmian, Diyala, and Hamrin.
“The Iraqi ministry of water resources has worked on the damages on the Darbandikhan dam and now there is not any danger regarding the dam,” Mohammad said.