The Iraqi federal government has introduced 14 projects that are currently under implementation in the Nineveh Plains and Shingal regions. These projects of road rehabilitation and the construction of several hospitals are part of a series aimed at rebuilding the region and mitigating the impact of war
The 14 projects, primarily focused on road rehabilitation and development, were announced by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani via video conference from Baghdad on March 15. Governor Abdul Qadir al-Dakhil laid the foundation stone for the projects during the ceremony in Nineveh province.
Rifaat Samou, the Nineveh Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs, explained that the projects will be carried out in Shingal and three areas in the Nineveh Plains, including Tilkef and Bartalla.
“While the projects are diverse, most of them center around road rehabilitation and hospital construction.”
These projects are part of the initial 89-project package planned for Shingal, Zummar, Al-Qahtaniya, and the Nineveh Plains. They are funded by the Shingal and Nineveh Plains Reconstruction Fund, which operates under the Council of Ministers.
The projects involve restoring and paving main roads in Shingal, Tilkef, Al-Qahtaniya, Nimrud, and Sinuny, as well as paving neighborhoods in Zummar and Bartalla.
Samou mentioned that the second set of projects will be announced soon, tailored to meet the specific needs and district plans of each area.
In 2014, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seized vast territories in northern Iraq. Employing violent tactics, ISIS systematically targeted local ethnic and religious minorities—most notably Ezidis and Christians—in a brutal campaign to obliterate communities whose beliefs opposed its extremist ideology.
Amid armed conflicts and battles between 2014 and 2017, Shingal and other areas in the Nineveh Plains suffered significant infrastructure damage. According to the Nineveh Governorate Diwan, 35,000 houses were destroyed during this period.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said they are joining forces with Mosul Municipality – with the support of Japan – to establish the city’s first debris recycling center to handle the estimated 7-8 million tons of debris left by the war against IS.
Aidan Sheikh Kalo, a member of the Nineveh Provincial Council, shared that the Shingal Reconstruction Fund's budget for 2023, 2024, and 2025 is 150 billion Iraqi dinars IQD ($100,000,000), with 50 billion dinars allocated per year. Of this amount, 20 billion dinars are earmarked for Shingal projects, while the rest is designated for Zumar and other Nineveh Plain areas.
In September 2024, the foundation stone was laid for a 100-bed hospital in Shingal to replace the facilities destroyed during the war against ISIS. Sheikh Kalo noted that projects planned for 2023 and 2024 have been announced, but none have been revealed for the current year.
Moving forward, annual allocations from the Reconstruction Fund will be distributed to various areas based on their needs. Shingal will receive 20 billion dinars each year for projects related to roads, education, health, electricity, and water infrastructure in the district center and surrounding regions.
The Ministry of Water Resources has confirmed plans to construct three dams in Shingal as part of its budget. This initiative is crucial as thousands of Shingal families remain displaced. Both the Iraqi Prime Minister and the Governor of Nineveh believe that infrastructure projects in Shingal and the Nineveh Plains will help accelerate the return of displaced individuals and provide them with a dignified life.
Ninewa is the second largest province in Iraq, covering an area of more than 33,000 square kilometers and consisting of 31 administrative units, with a population of more than four million people.
