Latest news with #Rwanga
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
$73 million in development projects approved for Halabja province
Also in Kurdistan Kurdistan people's livelihood not a tool for political leverage: KDP leader Rwanga plants 20,000 olive saplings in Erbil President Barzani says Erbil wants stronger ties with Japan US senators meet with Iraqi, Kurdistan leaders A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's Council of Ministers on Sunday granted approval for nine major development projects in Halabja province, valued at approximately 96.65 billion Iraqi dinars ($73.3 million), including the construction of a free trade zone, multiple infrastructure upgrades, and a new provincial building. The decision followed a meeting between Halabja Governor Nuxsha Nasih and Omed Sabah, head of the Council of Ministers' Presidency Office. Commenting on the decision on her Facebook page, Nasih described the projects as 'necessary' to 'better serve citizens.' The projects include several road projects worth around 50.9 billion Iraqi dinars ($38.8 million), a combined road and sewerage project worth 14.4 billion Iraqi dinars ($10.9 million), and a memorial construction project budgeted at $16.3 million. An additional 10 billion dinars ($7.6 million) was allocated to support border departments, including bulldozers, loaders, trucks, excavators, road rollers, water tankers, shovels, bobcats, graders, and trailers. In April, Iraq's parliament officially recognized Halabja as the country's 19th province and the Kurdistan Region's fourth, passing a long-awaited bill during a session attended by 178 of the 329 lawmakers. The Iraqi Council of Ministers had initially approved Halabja's status change in December 2013, separating it from Sulaimani province, but political disputes delayed the formalization for over a decade. Halabja stands out as a potent symbol of Kurdish resilience. On March 16, 1988, near the end of the eight-year Iran-Iraq War, the forces of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein bombed Halabja with chemical weapons. The gruesome attack claimed the lives of at least 5,000 people - mostly women and children - and injured thousands more. Of note, the Halabja chemical attack was part of the Baath regime's broader Anfal campaign in which more than 182,000 Kurds were killed.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
President Barzani says Erbil wants stronger ties with Japan
Also in Kurdistan $73 million in development projects approved for Halabja province Kurdistan people's livelihood not a tool for political leverage: KDP leader Rwanga plants 20,000 olive saplings in Erbil US senators meet with Iraqi, Kurdistan leaders A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday received Hitoshi Ishizuka, the new head of Japan's consular office in Erbil, to discuss enhancing ties with Tokyo and investment opportunities. 'The President conveyed the Kurdistan Region's desire to enhance ties with Japan, emphasizing opportunities for Japanese employment and investment in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He also expressed appreciation to Japan for its aid and support in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,' said a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency. In the meeting, Ishizuka said that Japan 'places significant value' on enhancing its relationship with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and provided an overview of a set of initiatives that Japanese companies have taken in the Kurdistan Region, according to the statement. In November, former Japanese ambassador to Iraq Futoshi Matsumoto said that Tokyo has taken 'significant steps' to strengthen its bilateral relations with Erbil, especially through establishing ties between Kurdish and Japanese companies. 'These relationships have resulted in positive developments, and now there is real and direct business being conducted. Step by step, we are seeing improvements in our relationships until we reach the larger goal,' Matsumoto said at the time.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Rwanga plants 20,000 olive saplings in Erbil
Also in Kurdistan $73 million in development projects approved for Halabja province Kurdistan people's livelihood not a tool for political leverage: KDP leader President Barzani says Erbil wants stronger ties with Japan US senators meet with Iraqi, Kurdistan leaders A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Rwanga Foundation on Sunday completed an initiative to plant 20,000 Spanish olive saplings in Erbil to promote environmental sustainability, in partnership with the German development agency (GIZ) and the agriculture ministry. 'We concluded the project of planting 20,000 Spanish olive saplings, which our institution, the Rwanga Foundation, undertook in partnership with GIZ and with the support of the German government and the agriculture ministry,' said Hassan Shekh Aladin, Rwanga's executive director, in a speech at the conclusion event. In 2023, Rwanga partnered with GIZ to implement development projects that created 250 job opportunities and supported 130 individuals in launching or expanding small businesses. The second goal of the partnership was to plant 20,000 Spanish olive saplings as part of an environmental sustainability initiative. 'We were able to complete the project within two years,' Aladin said, adding that 11,000 saplings were provided by GIZ. 'To complete the project comprehensively and fully, we had 9,000 saplings remaining. Thanks to the responsibility of the respected Idris Nechirvan Barzani, the other 9,000 saplings were also provided. Now we see that 20,000 olive trees have been planted here,' he stated. The planted trees can produce over 4 million liters of oxygen daily, enough for 9,000 people, and are expected to yield 120 tons of olive oil and 400 tons of olives annually, with the Spanish variety chosen for its faster two-year production cycle compared to Iraqi trees, according to Aladin. Agriculture Minister Begard Talabani hailed the project, saying that the trees will bring economic benefits and are also resistant to drought seasons. 'Instead of planting a tree only to give us oxygen and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, we want to develop those trees that have both economic benefit and can also withstand water scarcity during drought periods,' Talabani said at the event. Talabani explained that the project was established in a forested area that has served as a green belt for Erbil for over 30 years, expressing hope that, with support from all relevant Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) bodies, the area can be protected and developed as the "lungs of Erbil." The Rwanga Foundation is an NGO 'that envisages a world where quality education is accessible for all. Its mission is to provide services, build capacities, and design policies to ensure easy access to education for all and improve the overall educational standards in KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq], Iraq, and the greater global community,' according to the organization's website.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Sulaimani security forces arrest three ISIS suspects
Also in Kurdistan $73 million in development projects approved for Halabja province Kurdistan people's livelihood not a tool for political leverage: KDP leader Rwanga plants 20,000 olive saplings in Erbil President Barzani says Erbil wants stronger ties with Japan A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Three suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) were arrested by Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in separate operations in Sulaimani province, the Asayish said on Friday. 'In three separate operations and in coordination with the Iraqi national security forces, three wanted terrorists were arrested in the areas of Sulaimani, Chamchamal, and Sharazur,' Colonel Salam Abdulkhaliq, head of the Sulaimani-based Asayish media team, told Rudaw. All three suspects 'were active members of the ISIS organization,' Abdulkhaliq said. ISIS seized control of swathes of Iraqi land in 2014. The group was declared territorially defeated in 2017 but it continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions. The militants have taken shelter in an area of land stretching across the provinces of Salahaddin, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Nineveh where there is a security vacuum because it is disputed between Baghdad and Erbil. Kurdish and Iraqi security forces frequently cooperate and carry out joint operations against ISIS cells in the Kurdistan Region. Thousands of people have been detained across Iraq since 2014 for suspected links to extremist groups, including ISIS, and hundreds have been executed. Malik Mohammed contributed to this report.
Shafaq News
5 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
Rwanga plants 20,000 olive trees in Erbil green push
Shafaq News/ The Rwanga Foundation announced on Sunday the completion of a major environmental project involving the planting of 20,000 drought-resistant Spanish olive trees in the Dilopa area of Kasnazan, near Erbil, as part of its 'Green Kurdistan' campaign. Led by Idris Nechirvan Barzani, President and Founder of Rwanga, the launch ceremony drew high-level attendance, including Fawzi Hariri, Chief of Staff of the Kurdistan Region Presidency, Agriculture Minister Begard Talabani, representatives of GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation), international diplomats, and local NGOs. The project spans 55 donums of land and is expected to yield 400 tons of olives and 120 tons of olive oil annually, while producing an estimated 5 million liters of oxygen per day, significantly improving air quality in the region. Rwanga said the initiative also created 255 permanent and seasonal jobs, with priority given to women, youth, and people with disabilities. Funded in coordination with GIZ and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and supported by the Kurdistan Regional Government, the project aims to combat desertification, restore degraded land, and promote sustainable agriculture. Since its launch in 2023, the Kasnazan Olive Orchard has become the cornerstone of Rwanga's broader reforestation efforts, which have planted over 200,000 trees across the Kurdistan Region since 2020. Rwanga emphasized that this model of climate-smart agriculture and community-driven sustainability offers a replicable strategy for balancing environmental recovery with economic and social development in the face of intensifying climate challenges.
