On 7 January 2021, a formal ceremony was organised to officially open the restored Erbil-Kirkuk road in Iraq. The road, which was built under VNG International’s LOGOReP project, was opened by representatives of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Municipalities of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Qushtapa municipality, and UNHCR, as well as the project implementers VNG International and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). The LOGOReP project, which is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to improve the resilience of local authorities and communities in Iraq and assist national and local authorities in their planning and service delivery capacities.

The road connects the Syrian and Iranian refugee camps in Qushtapa with the local community and other neighbourhoods within the municipality, thereby contributing to increased mobility, social cohesion and access to public services. The road is part of a broader development vision for Qushtapa which was created in cooperation with the various governmental and international partners. The restoration of the Erbil-Kirkuk road is one of the first investment projects to realise the development plan. The plan foresees in other investments creating new opportunities for private entrepreneurship as well as improved public service delivery. With the LOGOReP project realising the first steps of the development plan, Qushtapa municipality hopes to attract other investors or (international) donors to realise other investment projects.