IBC Erbil office assessment team eye witnessing that tens of thousands children are the most vulnerable ones. International Blue Crescent (IBC) decided to respond for the needs of 1000 IDP families fled from Mosul and Talafer to Duhok province and identified them through a visit to the field. The total population that will benefit was estimated to be around 5000. With the supported UMCOR Funds IBC launched a program to the territory.
IDP’s that fled to territories of Zakho, Duhok and Erbil provinces. However, under the circumstances of changing situations the number of families made variations daily. Some families returned to avoid theft for their abandoned houses and some made entries to the cities through military controlled checkpoints, hundreds of them still waiting behind check-points, trying to find a guarantor from the city. Without a guarantor from the city they are not able enter the area which is under control of the KRG-Northern Iraq Kurdish Military.
The over loaded population of Syrian refugees within the existing camps forced UNHCR and Governorate Directorates to establish new camps (e.g. Garmawa Camp) which will cause a considerable loss of time for the vulnerable IDPs...
The territory being not far from Turkey and IBC, which already implemented food and hygiene packages programs across the border for Syrian refugees, had the necessary data related to prices and transport facilities. IBC team coordinates a secure warehouse in Dohuk and purchase all items in local market.
IBC volunteers and workers collaborated around 20 tons of aid packet’s.
Secure and suitable points were chosen for distribution where a member of each family , came and identified themselves by proper documentation. In Iraq.Families that are getting governmental support are given a family card (apart from personal ID’s) whereon family members are identified by name, gender and age.
IBC distributed food packages and hygiene packs to 1000 IDP families were targeted to be the beneficiaries for the distribution. Over 55 degrees in hot weather was the most extreme challenge for the distribution team.
Semel, Sulaf, Zavita, Duhok, Hattara, Zakho, Levo, Tilkef and Erbil were the distribution points. In cooperation with a local NGO, IBC made a final assessment for the mentioned locations in order to begin emergency distribution activities. One of the distribution points was Levo village, around 35 km from Zakho where 25 Christian families had fled from Mosul because of the bloody attack of ISHID. Now they are guests in Levo village which IBC team also made distribution to those families.
Another distribution point was, Hattara also hosting 220 families that fled from Shirvan village in Mosul. The Mukhtar of Shirvan village led the families to flee top the KRG region. Ali Hussein, the Mukhtar of the village said, ‘It was big chaos going around and ISHID was shelling everywhere around village, we had only the chance to flee and escape to another town. Houses were destroyed by the shelling we were afraid that we would die.’
Abdulmalik Ibrahim also another IDP from Mosul, joined IBC as a volunteer and gave help in coordinating the distribution . Ibrahim was the general director of a local radio station in Mosul. ISHID raided the radio station and forced them to close also destroying all their equipment. He managed to flee from Mosul to Zavita along with his family. Now he’s living his aunt’s house also hosting more than 10 other IDP families.
ISHID closed my radio station, declared that it was Anti Islam, so I took my family and left everything behind and fled to Zavita. I am now living my aunt’s house; also managing many IDP’s to live here. I am happy to support IBC since I found the chance of supporting my people.’ He said.
