Shafaq News / At first glance, when entering al-Furat sub-district of Heet district in western Al-Anbar, it looks like a barren desert that lacks basic services and suffers from many security and humanitarian dilemmas.

This city of a population of 32,000 looks more like the Middle Ages, which was echoed by the sub-district administrator, Ra'ed A'yada.

Mass graves

After the liberation of the governorate from ISIS, in response to the citizens' complaints, the health authorities unearthed a mass grave in a well in an agricultural area. Then, they invited the families of the forcibly disappeared persons, specifically the families of the Al Bu Nimmir tribe, to take blood samples to match them with the bodies. 

According to the sub-district administrator, witnesses confirmed that these bodies were thrown in the well after the massacre executed by ISIS against the members of the tribe during their control in 2014.

Two weeks ago, another mass grave was found within the sub-district's borders. Yet, no action has been taken so far. A'yada said, "the governorate bureau and Al-Anbar Operations Command have been informed. They promised to take the necessary measures in coordination with international organizations. Still, nothing has changed."

"After visiting the mass grave site, it became clear that the case had taken up a lot of space in the media. I saw only bones and some morgue beds, i.e., probably the bodies were in a hospital," A'yada noted.

He also pointed, "Traces of military uniforms have been found, but so far, the mass grave has not been unearthed, and the relevant authorities have taken no action."

Tribal ban on the repatriation of families

"The region enjoys significant security stability. A single breach has not been recorded since the liberation from ISIS due to citizens' cooperation with the security services, who are working to provide security personnel with all needed information to maintain this stability," he commented.

"All the sub-district's accusees are still outside the district. Al-Furat's administration refuses their attempts to return because the residents do not accept it," he said, "If we work on a security check of their files, they will be acquitted of all the charges. However, because of tribalism, we cannot predict the reaction. Even innocent people no longer want to return."

Electricity and water

"Since 1976, the area has not seen any electrical system maintenance, but work has recently been done on installing transformers, utility poles, and wire extensions. In fact, 70% of the problems we were facing in this file have been solved. However, our problem remains with service hours, as we are connected to the Haditha dam station that provides the area with two hours only, followed by four hours of outage. As a result, people rely on private generators. But the price of one amp rises to 25,000 dinars a month during summer," said the director of the al-Furat sub-district. 

He also added, "Water service is fine. Sixteen projects have been completed, and three others are in the referral phase. If completed, water scarcity will be ended in some areas, especially in the agricultural lands that consume water, which causes water scarcity in other areas."

Clinics without doctors

"We have three health centers in the area, but they lack medical staff. Two of them never had any doctors, while the third does not have any doctors currently. After 2 p.m., there are no health services in the area," A'yada said.

Women and studying

"We have 23 schools, all of which suffer from a lack of staff which led many students to complete their studies outside the sub-district. In addition, many female students dropped out of school because there is no secondary school near their areas," he commented, pointing, "The placement system approved by the Ministry of Education during ISIS's control exacerbated the crisis of our academic staff. This is experienced by all sub-districts, in addition to the fact that many teachers moved to Hit District, as they consider sub-districts as rural areas."

Dead land

"The al-Furat sub-district is one of the most prominent agricultural areas in Al-Anbar. However, it suffers from severe neglect. There is no support for the farmers, and the government offers nothing but fertilizer which can hardly be reached," he noted.

"The government gives two bags of fertilizer to the farmer who has to go to the al- Khalidiya district to receive them, i.e., he rents a car and pays what is equivalent to the price of the fertilizer. Also, no one provides farmers with the price of the fuel they need to work, nor do they receive the costs of electric water pumps. Hence, many of them have left the farming profession," he continued.

Sheep are denied entry

There are restrictions facing sheep traders in the al-Furat sub-district, according to the sub-district's administrator, who pointed out that joint control held by the Al-Anbar Operations Command prevents the entry of more than five sheep in one vehicle, which exacerbates the area's problems, "It is strange because it is an agricultural area and sheep are a source of livelihood for many of its inhabitants. It is not a border area to prevent such a thing for fear of smuggling."

He concluded by asking the Ministry of Health to provide medical personnel and all the sub-district's needs, calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to support the farmers.