Latest news with #Al-Anbar
Shafaq News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Shafaq News
+30,000-seat stadium halted by funding shortage
Shafaq News - Al-Anbar Al-Anbar's Olympic stadium, stalled at 75% of its completion, faces indefinite delays amid funding shortages and planning problems, an Iraqi official reported on Tuesday. Speaking to Shafaq News, Imad al-Mashhadani, director of Al-Anbar's Youth and Sports Department, explained that the stadium was scheduled to open this year, but persistent financial constraints have postponed the launch indefinitely. Designed to hold more than 30,000 spectators, the stadium is among the largest sports facilities under construction in western Iraq. Omar Hussein, a former Ramadi club player, stressed the impact its completion would have on local athletes. 'It would provide a proper training environment and could support a local league matching Anbar's talent,' Hussein noted. 'Without a proper stadium, we have lost the chance to host tournaments and many players stopped playing.' The stalled stadium project, he added, reflects wider challenges facing Al-Anbar's sports sector, which continues to struggle with limited funding, weak institutional support and poor infrastructure. In recent years, the Youth and Sports Directorate has partnered with local initiatives to renovate playgrounds and establish small sports centers. However, these efforts remain limited in scope and lack coordinated planning.
Shafaq News
22-07-2025
- General
- Shafaq News
Centuries-old al-Farouq Minaret in Al-Anbar at risk of collapse
Shafaq News – Al-Anbar The historic al-Farouq Minaret in the city of Hit is facing imminent collapse due to severe structural damage, local antiquities officials warned on Monday, citing decades of neglect and lack of scientific restoration. Al-Anbar's Director of Antiquities, Ammar Ali, told Shafaq News that the minaret—believed to predate the Islamic conquests—is suffering from widespread cracks, foundational tilt, and long-standing moisture damage, placing it at serious risk. "The last maintenance effort dates back to 1945 and was carried out by residents using unscientific methods," he said. Originally used as a beacon to guide trade caravans between the Levant and Mesopotamia, the structure was later annexed to a mosque during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab and repurposed as a minaret. Ali emphasized that sewage works and accumulated humidity have further deteriorated the minaret's structure, despite its elevated location. He noted that while the State Board of Antiquities has officially requested renovation efforts, the site legally falls under the ownership of the Sunni Endowment Office according to Law No. 55 of 2002, requiring the office to handle restoration under the board's supervision. "Despite repeated promises from the Endowment to fund restoration, no concrete steps have been taken," Ali said. "We are ready to provide full technical oversight, but the ongoing delay in allocating funds remains the main obstacle." 'This monument, which has stood for centuries, now risks collapsing at any moment.' Local activist Ali Ahmed echoed the frustration, accusing relevant institutions of negligence. 'The people of Hit are deeply disappointed. This minaret is part of the city's identity, and despite repeated warnings and official memos, there has been no visible effort to save it,' he told Shafaq News. Ahmed called for an emergency rescue plan led by qualified engineering and heritage experts, urging both the central government and the Sunni Endowment to act before it is too late. The al-Farouq Minaret is one of Al-Anbar's most iconic archaeological landmarks. Dating back to the pre-Islamic era, it functioned as a signal tower for desert caravans before becoming a religious site. It has withstood the test of time, but now stands precariously without modern conservation.
Shafaq News
20-07-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
Iraqi hospitals under fire for mishandling hazardous medical waste
Shafaq News – Al-Anbar Improper disposal of hazardous medical waste by Iraqi hospitals and clinics is creating an environmental and public health crisis, experts say, with growing concerns over contaminated materials being dumped alongside regular household garbage. Samim Salam, head of the Euphrates Environmental Center, told Shafaq News on Sunday that both public and private healthcare facilities are failing to separate medical waste —such as blood-stained items, tissue, and chemical residues—from general waste streams. 'This reckless behavior significantly increases the risk of environmental contamination, especially to soil and groundwater,' Salam warned. 'The most alarming concern is the exposure of sanitation workers and informal waste collectors to potentially virus- or bacteria-laden materials, which could lead to invisible public health disasters.' He pointed out that many private medical centers view waste management as a financial burden and cut corners, despite being legally classified as investment projects required to install specialized systems for handling hazardous waste under official supervision. According to Iraq's Medical Waste Management Regulation No. 1 of 2015, healthcare facilities must separate and treat medical waste from the point of generation to final disposal. 'Noncompliance with these regulations is a direct violation of Iraqi environmental law and could lead to legal consequences,' Salam emphasized. Official data from the Ministry of Environment indicated that Iraq generates more than 20,000 tons of medical waste annually. Salam noted that most of this is handled using primitive methods or mixed with regular waste, due to weak oversight and a lack of certified incinerators. He added that World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines stress the need for isolating and sterilizing medical waste—especially from isolation wards, emergency units, and labs—in dedicated facilities. These recommendations, he said, are frequently ignored in Iraq. 'With increasing medical waste following the COVID-19 pandemic and a growing number of healthcare institutions in major cities, regulatory authorities must ramp up inspections,' Salam said, urging citizens to report any suspicious disposal practices. 'Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility,' he concluded. 'It starts with professional compliance inside medical institutions and continues with strong state oversight. Ultimately, this affects the health of the entire population.'
Shafaq News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi security official denies US military activity at Ain al-Asad Base
Shafaq News / The head of Al-Anbar's Security Committee, Saad Ghazi al-Mohammadi, on Thursday dismissed reports of unusual activity at the US-operated Ain al-Asad Air Base, clarifying that the only notable event was the sound of military aircraft overnight. 'There are no movements inside Ain al-Asad,' al-Mohammadi told Shafaq News, adding that the security situation across the province remains stable. 'We heard warplanes, but no troop movement occurred near the base or on main roads.' The statement comes amid rising regional tension after Iranian threats to strike US bases if nuclear talks collapse. The Pentagon has since authorized the voluntary departure of military families from several CENTCOM locations, including Iraq. Ain al-Asad, one of the largest US bases in Iraq, has previously been targeted by Iranian missile strikes and armed factions' rockets.
