Middle East

Project Developments – 31 March 2007

Baghdad Hospitals Stretched to the Limit

Under-resourced state hospitals struggle to cope with the carnage from suicide attacks and car bombings.

Mud Schools in Forgotten Land

Enterprising tribesmen, fed up with officials’ failure to address their education needs, build their own makeshift schools.

Kurdish Women Resent New Passport System

A law requiring women to have a male guardian sign their passport application angers women in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Water Crisis Hits Baghdad

Some resort to digging wells as the capital’s taps run dry.

Militants Taking Control of Baquba

Insurgents are increasingly calling the shots in this Sunni stronghold.

A Tribute to Yasin

A courageous and talented journalist, IWPR contributor Yasin al-Dulaimi was recently killed in a roadside bombing.

Kurdistan Bolstered by Influx of Arab Academics

Higher education in Baghdad and other troubled cities dealt a blow as lecturers flee sectarian violence for the Kurdish north.

Energy Crisis Threatens Investment

Investors in Iraqi Kurdistan say escalating fuel costs are trying their patience.

Backsliding on Access to Information

The cornerstone of good governance is open information so that citizens can hold their government to account.