Iraq may get $30b for reconstruction


FE Team | Published: February 15, 2018 12:34:52


Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari (front) attends the ministerial meeting of the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Feb 14, 2018. UN is firmly committed to the reconstruction process in Baghdad, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday in Kuwait. Xinhua

Total contributions by countries participating in Kuwait International Conference on Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) reached 30 billion US dollars, Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said Wednesday.

He made the announcement at the closing session of the conference.

This amount came from 76 participating countries, along with 51 international development funds, 107 local and international NGOs, in addition to 1,850 representatives from the private sector, he said.

In a press conference after the session Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari said the amount of contributions announced at the conference, including investments and grants, do not meet all the needs for Iraq, but they were not small, adding that they will continue to seek investment, which is an important economic factor to overcome Iraqi ordeal.

Iraqi Planning Minister Salman Al Jumaili on Monday said that reconstruction in Iraq requires 88.2 billion US dollars.

According to a report provided at the conference by the minister, the total damage in Iraq by anti-IS military operations amounted to 45.7 billion dollars, the most affected sectors in this country by the war against IS include housing sector, power, industry and commerce, oil and gas and transport, reports Xinhua.

KICRI, kicked off Monday and concluded on Thursday, brought together several economic powers, as well as regional and international organisations, to make contributions to rebuilding Iraq after many years of war and conflict that ripped through various parts of the country.

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