DARBANDIKHAN, Kurdistan Region – A campaign announced by Rudaw Media Network to help the quake-hit city of Darbandikhan has concluded on Wednesday, collecting $270,000 as well as other desperately needed materials.
Rudawi Darbandikhan, the official name of the campaign, began just over two weeks ago to meet some of the needs of the affected people.
The local government in Darbandikhan, south of Sulaimani, has formed a 17-membered team from the city to oversee the delivery of the aid collected by Rudaw. The donations also include building materials such as 4,000 tons of cement in addition to tents, medicine, and kerosene heaters.
“Fortunately the investors responded positively to the campaign. It was as we expected them to be,” Aso Sarawi, a Rudaw producer said.
Kurdish businessmen and investors donated to the fundraising event, as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Iraq’s Minister of Health Adila Hamud told Rudaw it was supportive of the campaign.
The donations are to be distributed in the city starting from Thursday.
Zana Bahadin, the acting mayor of Darbandikhan, told Rudaw on Thursday that the donations may cover “50 percent of the needs” of the affected people.
Five hundred houses in the city were damaged by the November earthquake, 435 of which are not deemed safe for residents, and five houses were completely destroyed, according to official figures.
The earthquake that hit wide areas across the Kurdistan Region and Iran borders in early November killed 10 people, and injured about 500 more in the Kurdistan Region.
Some of the people continue to live in tents despite the cold winter weather mainly because their houses have been damaged, but also because some refuse to go back to their homes for fear of a second earthquake.
Last updated at 1:12 p.m.
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