ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Many Iraqi internally displaced people (IDP) fear retribution from militia groups upon returning to their hometowns and therefore prefer to stay in the camps despite exposure to the elements and lack of basic services.
“Life is hard in the camp, but it is much better than Mosul,” Abdulsalam Mohammed, an IDP from Mosul told Rudaw.
Mohammed fled Mosul six months ago and will be spending his first winter in a camp set up for thousands of people like him who fled the city during the fiercest battle between Iraqi troops and ISIS militants.
“Life is hard in the camp, but it is much better than Mosul,” Abdulsalam Mohammed, an IDP from Mosul told Rudaw.
Mohammed fled Mosul six months ago and will be spending his first winter in a camp set up for thousands of people like him who fled the city during the fiercest battle between Iraqi troops and ISIS militants.
He said he fears returning to Mosul because of “pressure and oppressions” from the Hashd al-Shaabi groups.
Mohammed’s apprehensions were confirmed after his brother’s return to Mosul and his immediate arrest by Iraqi forces.
“We are not willing to return to Mosul because of the dreadful security situation of,” he said. “My brother returned to work in Mosul, he was captured by Iraqi forces five months ago and we still do not know about his fate or whereabouts.”
Khalis Haris, another IDP, would rather stay and brave the winter than face the uncertainty of a return home.
“We prefer to suffer the unpleasant weather of this winter than going home,” Haris told Rudaw.
He also criticized the Iraqi government for leaving them to their own devices in the camps.
“No one from the Iraqi government has visited us or given us any aid,” he lamented. “Our life is protected here and we will stay.”
According to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) data, some 24,000 IDP families from Mosul live at 10 camps in Erbil province alone.
Rizgar Obeid, KRG official in charge of affairs of the camps echoed similar criticism of Baghdad for ignoring the IDPs.
“As we are entering winter, no aid has been provided to the IDPs by Baghdad,” said Obeid. “Though, it was decided that each IDP family would receive 200 liters of heating oil, nothing has been sent yet.”
Khazir camp, the largest, houses 4,000 tents. At least 80 percent of the IDPs at the camp are from Nineveh province and others from Anbar and Salahaddin.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment