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During the golden years of Iraq's prosperity under the Ba'athGovernment of the 1970s, the government embarked on a plan to providedrinking water to remote parts of the country. Villages that were notcovered by a fresh water network were provided with compact units thataddressed the needs of the particular village. It is reported that by the1980s more than 90% of all Iraqis had sustained access to clean drinkingwater. Water, like every other necessity of life, was affected by theblockade–which was the purpose of imposing it. In the 1990s the servicedeteriorated due to several factors including the blockade on importingspare parts and even chlorine. ...Thus by mid 1990s, the percentage of Iraqis having accessto fresh water dropped to 81%. The situation deteriorated furtherwhen according to the SIGIR "by 2003, this sector had experienced adevastating decline. Water distribution lines deteriorated from age, andthe corroded system allowed contaminants in, causing a sharp rise indisease rates." But the SIGIR did not even attempt to explain why thesupply of water had reached such a state by 2003. UNICEF acknowledgedthat by 2002 approximately 25% of all children's deaths in Iraq werecaused by waterborne bacteria which were due to the failing supply offresh water. Much of the urban network was probably damaged bybombs and tanks, and there was a lack of spare parts and water treatmentchemicals and facilities.The SIGIR advises us that the US Government spent over $2.71billion to rehabilitate and improve Iraq's water and sanitation sector.Whatever actually happened to that money is not clear but the end resultsby 2012 do not have much to show. Let us consider one example. TheNasiriya water supply project was awarded in April 2004 and completedin September 2007 at a cost of $277 million. It was designed to servesome 500,000 people in five surrounding cities. The SIGIR advises thatit was well executed and handed over to Iraqi control. But soon after,the SIGIR visited the project, met with local people and officials, andconcluded that the system was falling apart and suffering from regular breakdowns due to poor operation and maintenance.207How is it possible that Iraqis had managed for decades to operateand maintain their water supply systems, only tofind after 2003 that they could not maintain a small water treatmentplant in Nasiriyah? Is it not because all the skilled people have been killed,imprisoned or exiled after the invasion?
