Iraq blighted by poor services
By Caroline Hawley
BBC News, Baghdad

Two years since the fall of Baghdad, there is deep frustration among Iraqis at the state of public services.

There are continuing power cuts in much of the country and hospitals struggle to provide adequate treatment.

Sewage often pours untreated into rivers which many Iraqis have to drink from.

Look around the Iraqi capital, and the most obvious change over the past two years has been the mushrooming of concrete anti-blast barriers.

In most areas there is little visible sign of reconstruction and residents across the city have power for half the day at most.

Funding shortage

Electricity workers recently held a demonstration to denounce violence and sabotage.


There have been repeated insurgent attacks on power stations and pylons.

Insecurity has been a major hindrance to the reconstruction effort, but speak to Iraqi officials and they say they have another major problem - money.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4414291.stm