Rudaw Exclusive: Helicopter Carrying Aid Reaches Mount Shingal

Kurdish soldiers are loading much-needed food and water onto this helicopter destined for mount Shingal where thousands of Yezidi civilians are stranded.

The aid is provided by Rwanga Charity Oragnization, run by Idris Nechirvan Barzani.

This helicopter will be flying towards thousands of Yezidis who have fled from the ISIS militants.

The ISIS fighters tried to shoot down the helicopter that delivered the assistance but the helicopter’s gunner responded with heavy fire.

This is the mountain ridge where tens of thousands of Yezidi Kurd have lived an unimaginable life for a week.

As the helicopter prepared for landing, people ran from every direction and raised their hands for help.

The helicopter could land on only one spot of this mountain.

Food and water, another meal, is what occupies people’s minds here.

Out of the nearly 100,000 civilians stranded on this mountain, 20 of them managed to squeeze into the helicopter and reach safety.

Only these people themselves know the extreme hardship they have been through. On board the helicopter they prayed for the deliverance.

The people on this helicopter have escaped two deaths: Death from hunger and death from the ISIS.

But thousands more Yezidis are still left behind, facing unknown fate unless urgent help reaches them.