'Illegal encroachments'
Authorities demolish 34 homes in Mosul’s Hay Al-Iqtisadiyeen district
NINEVEH — Authorities demolished 34 homes Wednesday in the Hay al-Iqtisadiyeen area of Mosul, claiming the structures were built illegally on land owned by the Ministry of Education. The Nineveh Education Directorate, in coordination with the Mosul Municipality, executed the demolitions and issued a final notice for residents to vacate by Sunday.
Families who have lived in the area for decades say they were unaware the land belonged to the government and now face homelessness. The Education Directorate stated it requires the two-donum plot to construct schools, but residents argue the terrain is unsuitable for such development.
“I have lived here for 25 years and didn’t know this area belonged to the Education Directorate,” Raad Karim, a resident of Hay al-Iqtisadiyeen, told 964media. “At first, they gave us a warning, but within two days, they carried out the demolition, leaving us no time to leave our homes. If I am forced to leave next week, my only option is to live on the street with my family. We are poor families; our children work as laborers, and we cannot afford rent.”
Tarfa Mohammed, another resident, added, “We are three families in one house and have lived here for 10 years. We had a decision to postpone the eviction, but the Education Directorate and the municipality carried out the demolition early in the morning without prior notice. We call on the governor of Nineveh and charitable people to find a solution for us. Now, we live in a single room and have no jobs or income to support us. We live here because we are poor, and we suffer from snakes and insects. This land is not suitable for building a school because it is in a valley. Our last day here is Sunday.”
Ahmad Jassim, another affected resident, said, “Our homes were demolished yesterday morning, and our women [family] are now living in the open. We want the local government to find a solution for us. Our living conditions are very difficult, and I am old and suffer from chronic illnesses. My house was an encroachment, but I bought it 20 years ago for nine million dinars from someone from Tal Afar. Now, we need a solution—either alternative housing or caravans.”
Sami Al-Fadhli, media director of the Nineveh Education Directorate, responded to the protests, stating, “We notified the residents of Hay al-Iqtisadiyeen months ago, multiple times, to remove the violations on Ministry of Education land, based on a decision by the Nineveh Court of Appeals.” He added, “This was done in cooperation with the Mosul Municipality, the district administration, and security forces, including the police and SWAT teams.”
Al-Fadhli further explained, “The demolition is part of the Education Directorate’s efforts to reclaim land for school construction. This is the eighth such campaign in various areas of Mosul. The encroached land in Hay al-Iqtisadiyeen is two donums.”