The number of Iraqis that have fled the fighting for control of the country’s second city reaches almost 73,000.
UNHCR with its partners are working quickly to finalize preparations to provide emergency assistance for families displaced by the anticipated intensification of the conflict in Mosul in Iraq. UNHCR has done it again, amazing work to get this camp ready to receive 15,000 people in a very limited time. In parallel, work is ongoing to increase the capacity to reach 50,000 individuals. It is not easy to get supplies to that remote area, everything has to come from the Qamishly city even water, and all supplies. ; Currently there are 939 Iraqi refugees who arrived to the Hol camp in Al Hassakeh Syria in the last two weeks. Most of them came from Salah el Din and Ninawa governorates in Iraq, who were originally displaced inside Iraq from Mosul. Since last April , the camp hosts 4600 Iraqis who fled Iraq, they receive full humanitarian assistance as well as hundreds of Syrians internally displaced that fled Deir el Zor(still controlled by extremists). The location of the camp is 14 km from the Iraqi border, its remote and the only way to reach this part of Syria with supplies is through commercial flights or by airlifts, based on approvals and availability. UNHCR leads the efforts there with some other UN agencies and partner NGOs. The camp is away from our office in Qamishly 2.5 hours in the north east part of Syria, where still clashes occur among different fractions. Reception capacity is being reinforced at Al Hol in order to be ready to accommodate displaced Iraqis. Currently ready for 15,000. This capacity will be increased to 30,000 with the final target of 50,000. Through UNHCR and WFP airlifts to Qamishly in recent weeks, we have sufficient food and supplies in place for 50,000 people. Quick measures are taken in partnership with sister UN agencies and NGOs to ensure that all services are running and that sufficient Water, Sanitation, Health and Protection services will be available at Al Hol. UNHCR is reinforcing its presence in Al Hassakeh Governorate,
New camps open their doors as others fill up, with efforts ongoing to protect displaced families from freezing temperatures. (© UNHCR/Bathoul Ahmed)
AL ALAM CAMP, Iraq – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is opening two new camps to accommodate families displaced from Mosul and surrounding areas, as the number of Iraqis that have fled the fighting for control of the country’s second city reaches almost 73,000.
In the past week, UNHCR opened Al Alam camp near Tikrit, currently hosting 180 Iraqis with further new arrivals expected. Amalla camp, near Telafar, is set to open next week. The two new camps will take the total number of UNHCR sites receiving those displaced by the Mosul offensive to six.
The decision to open the new camps comes as existing sites rapidly reach full capacity. Three UNHCR-run or supported camps are already full, and the agency is warning that it could run out of space to house displaced families unless new sites are found soon.
Among the first arrivals at Al Alam camp was 20-year-old Sediq from Al-Hawija district, who was studying literature at school before extremist groups took control of the area in 2014.
“I had ambitions in life, but since [they] took over, my ambitions were destroyed,” he told UNHCR staff. “For two years I didn’t have access to information, I don’t have any idea of what’s going on in terms of my studies and I forgot everything that I learnt in school.”
I had ambitions in life, but since they took over,
my ambitions were destroyed.
As well as operating camps, UNHCR is also providing protection monitoring services and emergency household items for displaced families. With night-time temperatures now reaching freezing, the agency has begun distributing extra winter assistance including kerosene stoves, insulated mattresses, quilts and tent insulation kits.
At UNHCR’s Hasansham camp, currently home to 10,860 displaced Iraqis, people said the extra equipment was helping them deal with the plummeting temperatures. After dark, however, most are forced to huddle together inside their tents to fight off the cold.
Ali, a young father who fled his home with his family two weeks ago, had just finished installing extra insulation material inside the family’s tent. “The biggest problem is the cold, because I worry the kids will get sick eventually,” he said.
“Soon I am going to have to start keeping them in the tent because it is too cold to be outside, and it will only get worse. I hope we don’t have to stay here too long,” he added.
In order to provide assistance to those fleeing Mosul, UNHCR’s has requested funds totalling US$196.2 million. So far, 57 per cent, or US$111.9 million, has been received.
Sitting outside their tent in Hasansham, Fatima and her elderly mother were peeling courgettes in preparation for lunch. “We are very lucky, we managed to escape and now we are safe,” she said.
“We have enough to keep warm. What I worry about is the people left behind. I have friends and family still in [Mosul], and we know nothing about them. But when I think about them I cry, because I fear they have no food, and they probably have no fuel for heating. I don’t even know if they have homes anymore.”
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