Iraq, Ba’aj, 12 May 2022 – The newly rehabilitated Ba’aj General Hospital was officially inaugurated today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ninewa Governorate, with generous funding by the Federal Republic of Germany, provided through KfW Development Bank The reopening of this critical health facility marks a significant moment for the recovery of Western Ninewa after years of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) occupation.

Before ISIL, built in the mid-seventies, the hospital had 50 beds and several departments servicing a catchment population of 30,000 people. The hospital was left significantly damaged during the ISIL conflict, and residents had to travel more than 150 kilometers to reach the nearest hospital in central Mosul.

Through the Funding Facility for Stabilization, UNDP rehabilitated the entire building, including civil, sanitary, mechanical, and electrical works. Today, the newly revamped hospital has added facilities such as more wards for women, a premature delivery hall, a hemodialysis and blood bank, an oxygen and medical gas system, and a reverse osmosis water purification system. UNDP will further supply medical equipment in the coming months.

Currently, the hospital is operated and managed by the Ninewa Directorate of Health and serves over 30,000 residents. The hospital is expected to reduce preventable deaths, particularly among pregnant women and newborn children, as patients will no longer need to travel far to receive care. 

“Since work on the hospital began in December 2020, 80 percent of the pre-ISIL population have returned to the area, stating the hospital’s rehabilitation as their main reason for returning. This stands testament to UNDP’s commitment to supporting the people of Iraq, and we will only continue to do so,” says UNDP Resident Representative for Iraq, Zena Ali Ahmad.

“This project would not be possible if not for the generous support from one of UNDP’s longest-standing partners, the Federal Republic of Germany. Together with Germany, we have made tremendous contributions towards stabilization in Iraq,” she adds.

“The provision of good living conditions is fundamental to sustainable peace and stability. It is important that people who want to return to their home areas can do so with a decent perspective of finding the necessary conditions, including a certain standard of health care services in the city. This is why Germany supported the reconstruction of the Ba’aj Hospital, to provide the basis for returns, peace and stability,” says Mr. Peter Felten, the German Charge' d'Affairs in Baghdad.

The rehabilitation of the Ba’aj General Hospital is funded through a significant contribution by the Federal Republic of Germany, provided through KfW Development Bank.

UNDP is the leading implementer of stabilization activities in Iraq. To date, UNDP has completed around 3,100 stabilization projects across the liberated areas of Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din. The programme has assisted 4.95 million internally displaced people to return home.

Media Contact: 

Mrinalini Santhanam, Communications Specialist | +9647901931308