More than a year has passed since Rabia was retaken from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and still the twisted skeletons of shops and homes line the main road into town.

The ruins of what was set to become the city’s glitzy new hospital remain untouched – the scattered debris a reminder of the brief but fierce battle that took place in October 2014 to drive ISIL fighters out.

Like other towns and cities in Iraq that were fought for and liberated, Rabia remains in the throes of neglect, as basic services such as education and health are largely non-existent, and water and power substandard.

“The services are not good,” 56-year-old Khalaf Dhiab, a retired resident of Rabia, told Al Jazeera. “There’s flooding and the municipality is not cleaning the streets.”

 

Read More- al Jazeera

Image Credits- al Jazeera