Despite Iraq being rich in natural resources and the US pouring money into its economy for over a decade, Iraqi infrastructure is constantly failing and the people are forced to beg, as RT’s Lucy Kafanov reported from the war-torn country.

In spite of billions of dollars spent on reconstruction following the decade-long conflict, many neighborhoods lack sewerage systems and trash collection services. In some settlements, there are barely any streets. Water is also a big problem, locals pointed out.

“Nobody drinks the city water because we know it’s not clean. Since the war, I’ve had to rely on bottled water. What comes out of the tap is contaminated and makes us sick. How can we drink it?” local resident Umm Muhammad indicated.

Central power is another issue, with the system sometimes on for as little as two hours a day.

Electrician from Baghdad, Abu Meria, is sure the new government is to blame for the chaos that reigning in his homeland.

“It’s the citizens who suffer in the end, not the government. The services are so bad and the power system has really deteriorated. There were billions spent on fixing the grid but there’s little to show for it.”

Abu Meria now earns four times more than before the war due to the frequent failures and blackouts all over the city.

As RT’s Lucy Kafanov also discovered, the crumbling infrastructure is closely entangled with rampant corruption.

Read the full article here.