Activities between 21 August - 1 September
Military operations to liberate ISIL-occupied areas near Mosul are causing widespread displacement. This update covers IOM emergency activities in response to displacement in these areas.
Shelter
IOM is providing shelter support in Salah al-Din governorate in response to recent displacements from Al-Shirqat and Al-Qayara. Over 500 sealing-off kits have been distributed to newly displaced Iraqi families living in unfinished buildings and critical shelter arrangements. The kits include building supplies, plastic sheeting and plywood to reinforce shelters. The kits are provided with the support of the European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO).
Transportation
IOM has been assisting the government with transportation of IDPs fleeing ISIL. Since March, IOM has moved over 6,500 Iraqis to safety: IDPs held in Hawija were transported to camp locations in Kirkuk; IDPs fleeing villages in the outskirts of Mosul were transported to camps in Dibaga; and most recently on 16 August, 258 individuals were transported in mini-buses from al-Khazir, 30 km south-east of Mosul city, to Dibaga camp. As displacement continues, IOM is preparing to assist a further 30,000 individuals from reception centers to safety.
Health
IOM is expanding its health programme in response to recent displacement. This includes a total of over 1,100 primary health consultations provided daily for recently displaced Iraqis in the governorates of Salah al-Din, Kirkuk and Erbil, and to returnees in Rabi’a, Ninewa. The Mobile Medical Teams and two clinics focus on high-needs areas; Mobile Medical Teams travel between displacement sites and provide a range of health services including medication, and refer patients in need of specialized care to hospitals.
Ammar’s Story
Ammar and his family fled Haj Ali, a village south of Al-Qayara town in southern Ninewa governorate. Ammar said, “The fighting was intense in our village; we saw townspeople killed in the cross-fire. A piece of shrapnel hit my father’s right eye; he cannot see much with that eye now. We fled the village and walked for hours. When we arrived in Dibaga we slept on the street in the hot weather. After five days we were moved into Dibaga camp and have been here for four months. I am very happy to receive the relief kit; every item has been of great help.” Ammar and his family now live in Dibaga Camp for displaced Iraqis in Makhmor district, Iraq.