“Heavy rains sweep shops, houses in Taiz” [Archives:2005/869/Letters to the Editor]

Amin Noman
[email protected]
Taiz heavy rains have always been a serious problem to Taiz citizens. However, people in Taiz are numb, and if you live in Taiz eventually you become anesthetized too.

Please don't get me wrong, I love Taiz and all the indigenous people over there. I am just appalled by the government that treats Taiz as a second class city. The central government in Sanaa has always managed to appoint governors that have personal agenda.

In reality the government that appoints governors to Taiz has its own agenda other than looking over the interest of the city or the people. In the past sixteen years I have visited Taiz, my home town, five times. Everything is in decline from air to water to roads to any kind of services you can think of.

All you have to do is meet someone from Taiz to know if the city is not part of the Republic of Yemen. Go back and list the governors of Taiz and you find the most corrupt officials in Yemen if not the whole universe.

It is not news that Taiz is being washed out by floods. The news is neither the governor nor the central government wants to do anything about it.

And for our respected reports of Yemen Times, please go out there and do your part. What we need is real investigative reporting of real issues that concern people in every city. Lately the US government granted the city of Taiz $492,000 for wastewater project.

As an American of Yemeni descent I was exited to know that part of my taxes is going to a very good cause. However, I knew this is a chance for some officials to pocket some money and nothing gets done.

At my end I am sending a letter to my US representing my state to make sure that this money will be well spent. And that's the least I can do.
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