Capital Surge Helps Heal Wounds
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines chaos as a state of utter confusion. Anis Abdnishari’s description of the events during a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack in the Khalis suq or market, Diyala province, Iraq, fit that definition very well.
“After the first explosion, there was chaos everywhere and I ran to check on my brothers in our shop,” said Mr. Abdnishari, who, along with his family, owns two furniture stores in Khalis. “There were bodies in the streets and nobody was helping because they were too afraid that there would be another explosion.”
The attack in the market occurred in early May, and while shop owners and patrons still remember it vividly, they are trying to get back to normal daily life. Merchants and citizens in the city still see hope, especially after receiving financial assistance in the form of micro-grants to help rebuild their business.
These grants, which are payments up to $5,000, were organized by Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and were paid on June 10. The Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Red Crescent, an Iraqi government agency similar to the American Red Cross, assisted the 1/37th FA in providing 50 grants that were initially planned to give an economic boost to the city, but will now have an even more significant impact on the community.
“A lot of these people lost their business, which is how they provide for their families,” said 1st Lt. Alexander Kim, from Seoul, Korea, the officer in charge of an economic development team for Charlie Battery, 1/37th FA. “If they don’t have that they could turn to other more dangerous means of income and it is also important for us [U.S. Soldiers] to show that we want to help them recover from that attack.”
Of the many people looking to recover, the ones with the hardest path to normalcy are the smallest in stature. Two boys, ages 8 and 9, were orphaned by the explosions that day and received payments that will allow their extended family members to keep their parents’ businesses going so these children can still have a bright future.
These youngsters aren’t the only ones who need hope for safety and more economic development in the city. Several shop owners see their payments as an opportunity to encourage customers to return to the market.
“Before the bombs my business was very good, people were very interested in buying furniture,” said Abdnishari. “Afterward it got very slow, people only want to buy food, not goods like our furniture.”
The grant money will help with renovations that will hopefully increase his business, said Abdnishari. He plans to repaint the walls, repair the roof, and purchase an awning that will provide shade for the area in front of his shop.
Others who were not affected by the blast see the money purely as an opportunity to increase their profits. However, amidst the new assistance, many remain wary of the potential dangers that exist until the security situation is improved in Khalis.
“I am going to double up my business, selling men’s clothing, by adding more merchandise to my shop,” said Khalil Bashar, co-owner of a clothing store in the market. “The people have not been coming out as much anymore since the bombs, so we need help increasing the security so there will not be anymore IEDs.”
The first step taken to resolve security concerns and assist the community were the micro-grants provided and more are soon to follow.
“We are working on about 1,750 micro-grants to be given to businesses, to improve the standing of the economy,” said Kim. “Hopefully by stimulating the economy people will be more focused on businesses rather than on violence.”
