Residents of Baghdad neighborhood decry decades of neglect, demand intervention

BAGHDAD — Residents of Baghdad’s Al-Hamra neighborhood are calling on the Mansour municipality, Baghdad Governorate, and Baghdad Municipality to pave streets they say have been neglected since the 1980s. The deteriorated roads, showing visible signs of wear, have damaged vehicles and pose further hazards, according to locals.

Yasin Ismail, a local community leader from the 618/Yarmouk area, expressed his frustrations to 964media saying, “Since 1980, only two alleyways have been paved. The rest of our streets have been left in a state of disrepair, resembling rural roads rather than those in a central urban area.”

Residents have said that despite repeated pleas to the authorities and efforts of the local district director, their calls for help have gone unanswered. “Every time we approach any official or deputy, we are told that our area is on the schedule, but it’s unclear what schedule they refer to, especially now in 2024,” said Ismail.

Ghaith Hadi, a local resident, told 964media, “Our neighborhood has hundreds of homes. The price per square meter here is $2,500, yet our streets are completely unpaved. On rainy days, our children struggle to reach schools.”