Iraq needs nearly $90 billion to rebuild after three years of war with the Islamic State group, officials said Monday, with large parts of the country in ruins and tens of thousands left homeless. As a three-day international reconstruction conference got underway in Kuwait, officials were seeking pledges from donors and investors to restore Iraq’s devastated homes, schools, hospitals and economic infrastructure. Planning Minister Salman al-Jumaili said an assessment by Iraqi and international experts put reconstruction costs at $88.2 billion (71.8 billion euros). Mustafa al-Hiti, the head of Iraq’s reconstruction fund, said some work had started but that funds were needed urgently to restore basic infrastructure and services in many provinces. “Sustainable return is not just about bricks and mortar,” Bruno Geddo, UNHCR’s representative in Iraq, said in a statement.

Source: The Guardian February 12, 2018 11:15 UTC