An American reader named Susan asked us to write about the homeless problem in Iraq. This issue is a very complicated problem for Iraqi citizens. During the era of the former regime, Saddam was generous in distributing properties for his followers, even though they were already rich. Iraqi society witnessed rich people getting richer while others couldn't get any land to sleep on (the homeless). At that time I heard about family consisting of 72 members living in 144 square meter home in one of Baghdad city. Yes, the people in that city were standing in a line to enter to bathroom. This policy caused huge gaps among the classes of Iraqi society.
After the collapse of the former regime poor people in Iraq thought every thing would change and all Iraqis would take their rights of living a pleasant life and no Iraqi will stay without roof to protect him the cold of winter and the hot of summer. Some of those people starting building homes on government land without waiting for the reconstruction projects. Their needs were bigger than waiting, they were in real need of a real roof like other people in the rest of world. With the absence of the authority of law people went far with their dreams and they built houses on the lands that belong to the state. They thought the new comers would understand their needs to have shelters. They thought at least the government would find them the substitute of the illegal shelters that they built.
Now those people have evacuation orders because their illegal houses deform the appearance of the cities. And the new complexes are built to give to those who are not in need. The new regime in Iraq raised the slogan of lifting oppression from deprived Iraqis. But six years passed and Iraqis are still waiting for their dreams to come true. It was worthless waiting because the new comers followed the policy of former regime by giving food for the satisfied bellies and left the hungry mouths eating air. Again Iraqi regime and his followers have every thing and Iraqi poor people are looking for shelters in overseas lands. In the new Iraq still the lands and the houses are given to those who are not in need. The officials and politicians now have properties in the highest neighborhoods and the poor in Iraq feel bitterness.
