The Embassy of Japan in Iraq, Ninewa Governorate, and UN-Habitat have laid the foundation stone for a new social housing project for returnees in Mosul.

Mosul, 25 June 2024 – Following the high-level Round Table Meeting with key stakeholders, including Ambassador Futoshi Matsumoto and Governor Abdulqadir al-Dakhil, the foundation stone for the Japan Village Project was laid in Mosul. The project will provide housing for around 50 households with approximately 350 beneficiaries, focusing on the most vulnerable returnees, particularly female-led households and people with disabilities. Additionally, the project will build capacity on the construction skills and work experience of 100 unemployed youths, including more than 40 females, and enhance the capacity of up to 1,000 individuals to address climate-related challenges.

Mr. Futoshi Matsumoto, Ambassador of Japan to Iraq said “Japan has been standing by all the people of Mosul (Moslaween).  We have been strongly supporting IDPs in their most difficult time in Nineveh Governorate. Providing low-cost housings through UN-Habitat to more than 3,300 IDP families since 2014 is a clear demonstration of the goodwill by the people of Japan toward them. Today, all Japanese partners including TOYOTA Iraq, Sumitomo Corporation, Al Sardar Group (TOTO and KOMATSU), MEENAR (Nippon Paint), and Peace Winds Japan gathered together in Mosul to express their further support to the people in need, wishing for the early recovery of Mosul and Ninewa.”

The Ninewa Governorate will support this initiative by facilitating access to essential infrastructure services such as electricity, water, sewage, irrigation, green areas, roads, and parking lots, thereby improving living conditions for the entire Rajm Hadeed neighborhood. Governor Abdulqadir al-Dakhil, during the ceremony, expressed his optimism about the project's outcomes, drawing from the excellent example of the Bab Sinjar Housing Complex, a previous collaboration funded by the Government of Japan and executed by UN-Habitat. “There is still a dire need of houses for the returnees in Mosul, and we are committed to supporting and investing in this project to improve living conditions in the Rajm Hadeed neighborhood, confident that Mosul residents and returnees will benefit greatly from it.”

Muslim Qazimi, Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Programme, used the opportunity to share the broader vision behind the project related to adequate housing. He elucidated, "UN-Habitat's role transcends the provision of housing; we are dedicated to fostering sustainable urban development and ensuring the well-being of human settlements. By expanding this project to accommodate 3,000 returnees in the coming years, we are working towards our broader goal of ensuring access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing for all by 2030, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals."

The "Japan Village Project” is a significant step towards providing safe and sustainable housing and better living conditions for returnees, contributing to the ongoing development and durable solutions in the region and beyond.