Iraq has approved projects to build nearly 3.5 million houses to tackle a worsening housing crisis caused by a rapid population growth and massive destruction during the war, the official daily Alsabah reported on Sunday. 

A large number of the projects are under way while others will be launched in the next months, the paper said, quoting Haidar Al-Maiali, Housing chief at the Construction, Housing and Municipalities Ministry. 

“The Ministry has chalked out a clear strategy to tackle the festering housing problem...but it was blocked by the war against Daesh,” he said. 

“ There is a new strategy which includes distribution of land to citizens and the construction of new towns and cities...the projects approved by the Ministry, including those under way and the planned projects, will provide nearly 3.5 million houses.” 

The paper quoted Abbas Al-Ata, a member of the Parliament’s Services Committee, as saying Iraq needs nearly 5 million houses at this stage. 

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com) 

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