Iraq: Sharp increase in humanitarian needs, more funds needed
Since June 2014, there has been continuous fighting in many parts of Iraq including in Ninewa province, in the north of the country. The effects on the population have been devastating. Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, many of which have been destroyed or looted. Vital infrastructure and services, including health facilities, have been severely damaged. Access to food and water has become extremely difficult.
Benefiting from a respite in the fighting, some people have begun to return to their homes in the town of Rabiah in Ninewa province. This is the case with Salfig Marah and his wife Fatima who have just returned to the town which is located on the border with Syria. Almost all of its 24,000 inhabitants fled the town when intense fighting broke out in August 2014
Salfig and his 13 other family members recently received essential relief items and food at a distribution, organized by the ICRC, to help returnees restart from scratch. Indicating the people around him, he said: “All these families are waiting for the Red Cross. We don’t have even the most basic things. We lost almost everything. There is no help from anyone except you.”
Back home, while the children unwrap parcels, Fatima explains how life is: “Sometimes we have dinner, sometimes we don’t. One day with, one day without. We do not even have rice. If a child needs a doctor, I don’t have money to cover the costs. Where would I get the money from? This is our situation.
Ever since the beginning of the recent conflict in June 2014, the ICRC has been working in the areas affected by fighting in order to reach people in need. From January 2015 up until the present date, the ICRC has been able to distribute food and other relief items to more than half a million people in Iraq.
The ICRC is particularly concerned about the city of Mosul and its current population of more than 1.2 million people, where the humanitarian situation is likely to deteriorate quite rapidly if fighting reaches the city.
On 9 May 2015, Dominik Stillhart, the Director of Operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited people in the outskirts of Baghdad who recently fled the fighting in Anbar governorate. Mr. Stillhart got a first-hand understanding of their needs and witnessed their difficult living conditions: “Talking to the people in this IDPs settlement, I am particularly concerned about the violence against civilians. The stories that the people told me here are of deep concern.”
There are currently around 2.7 million people displaced in Iraq, compared to around 300,000 early 2014.
In order to sustain the emergency response and to further expand its activities in Ninewa province and other parts of the country, the ICRC is calling upon its donors to provide an additional 38.5 million dollars, which will bring the total funding it requires for 2015 to 122 million, making Iraq its second largest operations in the world, right after Syria.
For more information on this budget extension to ICRC’s activities in Iraq, please consult the press release issued today.
Shotlist
00 00 City centre of Rabiah, abandoned after heavy fighting (3 shots) 00 15 ICRC vehicle passing
00 20 People arriving at distribution site in Rabiah outskirts (2 shots) 00 26 Truck with goods reversing
00 29 Essential items and food bags offloaded from truck
00 33 ITW Tarek Kaoukji, head of ICRC office in Mosul (12” – English)
In case of another attack on Mosul, more displacement is expected. The context is highly volatile, needs are huge and we need to mobilize all resources to respond to the needs of people.
00 46 Wide shot of people getting assistance goods
00 49 Close shot on Salfig Marah, returnee, waiting for his aid package.
00 51 ITW Salfig Marah, newly returned to Rabiah (15” – Arabic)
All these families are waiting for the Red Cross. We lack every basic necessity. We lost almost everything. There is no help from anyone except you.
01 05 People taking goods away from distribution site
01 10 Salfig Marah leaving and driving back to his place (2 shots)
01 18 Marah’s family members helping off-loading pick-up truck (2 shots) 01 35 Kids opening parcel, close-up of goods (2 shots)
01 50 Salfig Marah and his spouse Fatima Nazdaa watching
01 52 ITW Fatima Nazdaa, Salfig Marah’s spouse (16” – Arabic)
Sometimes we have dinner, sometimes we don’t. One day with, one day without. We do not even have rice. If a child needs a doctor, I don’t have money to cover the costs. Where would I get the money from? This is our situation.
02 09 Street view close to Salfig and Fatima’s house
02 13 ICRC team with Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart visiting camp of IDPs in the outskirts of Baghdad (2 shots)
02 23 Stillhart under tent in presence of two new-born babies (2 shots)
02 33 Stillhart discussing with IDPs
02 38 ITW Dominik Stillhart, ICRC Director of Operations (15” – English)
Talking to the people in this IDPs settlement, I am particularly concerned about the violence against civilians. The stories that the people told me here are of deep concern.
02 53 ITW Dominik Stillhart, ICRC Director of Operations (20” – English)
The ICRC is now launching a budget extension appeal for the 36 million Swiss Francs (CUT at 03 01) making it the second largest operation of the ICRC worldwide, right after Syria.
03 08 ITW Dominik Stillhart, ICRC Director of Operations (16” – English)
This additional money will help the ICRC to assist up to 900,000 people in the North, centre and South of Iraq, and in particular in the most affected governorates of Ninewa, Anbar, Salaheddin and Diyala.
03 24 ENDS
