So many changes when it comes to construction and
everybody seems to love it; Park View Apartments for example, is according to
their website ‘the most prestigious project in Erbil’. I do not agree with
their slogan owing to the fact that none of these Park View Apartments have a view
or a park. This fact appears to be a minor issue since no one really seems to
care about that part. ‘You can build a park on your balcony if you really want
a park’ the salesperson answered when a friend of mine asked for clarification.
The irony in this all is that we Kurds don’t mind paying an absurd amount of
money for a project like Park View.
The builders, the engineers and the investors from
Turkey and Lebanon don’t care about a Park. They do not care about our health
and why should they? They are not here to invest in plants, parks or our
health. What drives me mad is that we seem to think exactly the same. We love
to invest in these ridiculously expensive projects, without really thinking
ahead. We haven’t made plans for the future; our
health, our safety or even our economy.
We all know the exact prices, square meters and
location of these new projects but why are we so indifferent when it comes to
our safety? Can we blame it on all the wars we’ve been through? That maybe
because of all these wars we never really could look ahead?
Let’s say we want to buy a villa in one of these
projects, do we know if an invalid person can even enter the villa? What if your
family member, who could walk yesterday but can’t walk today, wants to go in
and out of your house? Can you rebuild your house? We have so many staircases
in our houses; it really is as if no one has thought about an invalid person,
at all. And when you want to get a stair lift, you can get a second handed one
from Europe that will work for a couple of weeks but you won’t be able to find
a new one even if you’re willing to pay a little more. We do not invest in good
home medical supplies like electric wheelchairs. When is this going to change?
Let’s say we want to buy an apartment on the
twentieth floor in Gulan Park. Is it earthquake resistant? Have we even thought
about earthquake building codes now that more earthquakes occur due to the oil
extraction? Have we thought about the social and economic difficulties we will
face when a heavy earthquake strikes Kurdistan? What if, something like this
happens do we even know what to do in situations like that?
We all know the telephone emergency number is 911 in
the United States of America. All Dutch people know this number is 112 in the
Netherlands but do we, Kurds, know which number to dial, here in Kurdistan,
when in an emergency situation? Let’s, for argument’s sake, say that we all
know the number here in Kurdistan; would you even want to give it a try when
you need an ambulance or fire truck?
About a year ago, the maid from next door ran out
of their house into ours screaming ‘fire, help, fire’ and I was as panicked as
she was because I had no idea what number to dial. After a few phone calls I
finally got the number of the “Erbil Civil Defense Directorate”. I explained
where we lived and thought that it wouldn’t be very difficult as we live in a well-known
compound.
I was thankful when I heard the siren only a few
minutes later but lost hope when I saw the truck taking a left where he
should’ve taken a right. I got so desperate that I almost ran into the house
next door with our own water hose. By the time the truck arrived, neighbors had
already taken care of the fire.
It’s not very different when it comes to the
ambulance service here in Erbil. Most cars don’t make way for an ambulance with
lights or the siren on. Why? ‘He might be in a hurry to eat his lunch.’ My colleague
answered. People do not take it serious anymore but what if it is serious? Are
we even prepared for that?
