Severe lack of railway equipment in Iraq

An Iraqi statement issued today said that the railway system in the country suffers from a severe lack of equipment and spare parts, which negatively effects the interior transportation movement, especially transferring supplies exported to Iraq according to agreements with the UN.

An official source in the Iraqi Transportation Ministry said most of the railways and trains have almost vanished because not one spare part has been exported since UN economic sanctions were imposed nine years ago. The source said committee 661 obstructed the ratification of 23 contracts worth $80 million US to maintain this sector.