Left destitute: Tuz Khurmatu children main victim of Hashd takeover

Many villagers in the Garmiyan region have opened their doors to fleeing families of Tuz Khurmatu. Five families have squeezed into this one house. Most of them are small children.

“Hashd al-Shaabi burned down our home. I want to go back to Khurmatu,” a grade school girl told Rudaw while sobbing.

The Hashd al-Shaabi militia have targeted everything. Eyewitnesses say 21 schools and mosques have been burned. Sara will not have a place to continue her schooling.

“They’ve blown up our school. When we go back to Tuz Khurmatu there’ll be nowhere to study,” said another child.

These children don’t know if they should cry for themselves or for their siblings.

One young girl was more concerned about her siblings: “I worry for my sisters and brothers. Our homes and schools have been blown up. Soon it’ll start to get cold and rain. I’ll have nothing to wear. There is no heating either. My sisters and brothers have no diapers.”

The town administration of Nawjul has registered hundreds of fleeing families so far. The numbers are rising by the day.

One man hopes that the Kurdish “Security forces go back to Tuz Khurmatu and protect civilians. The Hashd militia shouldn’t do it. They’re enemies of the people.”