IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in cooperation with Qatar's RAF foundation delivered food parcels and blankets to 85 thousand refugees in Kirkuk, Diyala and northern Iraq.
Thousands of people had no choice but to leave their homes and seek refuge in other locations, after the unfortunate events which took place in Iraq.
Aid has been provided to these people since the very beginning of the conflict. Recently, the IHH team provided 14 thousand 500 food parcels and 12 thousand 500 blankets to the needy in Iraq's Dohuk, Arbil, Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah and Diyala region.
Aid to 25, 000 refugees in Dohuk and Arbil
Aid trucks were prepared in Turkey by IHH in cooperation with Qatar's RAF foundation. The trucks then passed through the Habur Border Gate finally reaching Dohuk. The team then divided into two groups in order to provide the aid packages. One group set out to Dohuk and Arbil while the other group set out to Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah and Diyala. Dohuk is one of northern Iraq's largest cities, and one of the closest cities to Mosul in terms of location. This is why it has the largest number of migrants in the city. It is also one of the safest cities in the region, this is why there are many camps established here. In Dohuk there are people from Kirkuk's Mosul, Tall Afar and Tazehurmatu living in the Kaberto and Domize camps, which was established by the United Nations.
According to research, there are over 300 thousand refugees living in Dohuk. The team located in Dohun distributed 6 thousand 250 blankets and 2 thousand 400 food parcels to refugees in this region. The team then moved down to Arbil where there are more than 200 thousand refugees living in Kustepe, Kevirgos, Bahira and Saklava camps. They distributed 200 thousand food parcels which would last for a month. Moreover, 6 thousand people will benefit from this aid.
Aid to Turkmen, Kurdish and Arab refugees in Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk and Diyala
Refugees who sought refuge in the Yahyavi camp constructed in 2014, in the region of Kirkuk, are trying to hold on to life by their own means, in tents set up on vacant land, warehouses, schools, and mosques. 8 thousand 550 food parcels and 6 thousand 250 blankets were distributed to those living in the Yahyavi and Leylan camps, were majority of the population are Turkmen and nearby villages where Arab, Turkmen and Kurdish refugees reside. Currently, there are close to 350 thousand refugees in Kirkuk and its surrounding regions. In 2014 two camps were built in Kirkuk. There are 280 thousand people living in the Yahyavi camp which consists of 75 large tents and 7 thousand 500 people living in the Leylan camp.
Emin Terzi, President of the Turkmen Brotherhood Association thanked Turkey and Qatar. He also stated that the current situation in Kirkuk is only getting worse, "The problem in Kirkuk is much worse than it seems. There is more migration from neighboring provinces each day. Our hope is the continuation of aid sent over here."
The problems at the camps are increasing
Iraqi Turkmen, Kurdish and Arab families had no choice but to leave their homes. Most of them migrated to camps located in Dohuk, Kirkuk, Arbil and Sulaimaniya. These camps are now completely full and overcrowded. Therefore, causing more problems to arise. The main problems the people are facing in these camps are obtaining clean water, food and health problems. Although it is rare, grants are provided to the camps by NGO's. The camps are in the hands of the regional administration.
