Lack of info hinders deliverance of aid, says NGO
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Lack of information is hindering aid efforts, said the director of a local non-governmental organization (NGO).
“We have many gaps in access to information about victims of violence, about perpetrators of violence, holding states for account, holding those responsible for any kind of atrocities or genocide or violations of the international humanitarian laws to account,” said Ahmed Hassan, director of the Iraqi Health and Social Care Organization.
Hassan made his comments in an interview with United Nations Radio in New York on Tuesday.
His organization operates mainly in Anbar province and teaches internally displaced how to protect themselves from explosives left behind after war.
They are one of the NGOs trying to provide services to the residents of Fallujah but facing problems, largely due to the lack of information.
“During conflict, this is one the problems where you cannot have access to information or access to data because you cannot have access to the area itself,” Hassan explained, noting that aid agencies were not permitted to access Fallujah due to the security situation.
“So this is one of the gaps I think that the local governments in context like Iraq and the others in conflict should be trying to find solutions for, having the flow of information about the health situation in order to have a flow of service for people in need of such services.”
Aid agencies criticized Baghdad for failing to have a plan in place to address the humanitarian fallout from the military campaign to liberate Fallujah.
“It just doesn’t make any sense to have invested so much in a military campaign to defeat Daesh [Islamic State] and not provide lifesaving support to Iraqis in their hours of greatest need,” Lise Grande, deputy special representative of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, told Al Jazeera at the time.
Tens of thousands of civilians in Fallujah and camps around the city still need lifesaving aid.
NGOs are trying to prepare for the liberation of Mosul but are already struggling to help the thousands that are fleeing the military campaigns south of the city and some are again blaming Baghdad.
“We are facing so many problems and we are in shortage of almost everything while Baghdad has played zero role in supporting us with the waves of displaced people,” said Rizgar Ubaid, of the Barzani Charity Foundation and head of the Debega camp receiving some 3,000 people daily fleeing the frontlines.
Up to a million people are expected to flee Mosul. The United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) is coordinating with the Kurdistan Regional Government to have land to accommodate them but is barely able to provide for the numbers they have now.
Josef Merkx, UNHCR’s coordinator for the Kurdistan Region, said they need at least two months to build tents just for the people who have already arrived at the camp, not to mention the increasing needs of tents, food, medicine and water as thousands more flee daily.
“We have many gaps in access to information about victims of violence, about perpetrators of violence, holding states for account, holding those responsible for any kind of atrocities or genocide or violations of the international humanitarian laws to account,” said Ahmed Hassan, director of the Iraqi Health and Social Care Organization.
Hassan made his comments in an interview with United Nations Radio in New York on Tuesday.
His organization operates mainly in Anbar province and teaches internally displaced how to protect themselves from explosives left behind after war.
They are one of the NGOs trying to provide services to the residents of Fallujah but facing problems, largely due to the lack of information.
“During conflict, this is one the problems where you cannot have access to information or access to data because you cannot have access to the area itself,” Hassan explained, noting that aid agencies were not permitted to access Fallujah due to the security situation.
“So this is one of the gaps I think that the local governments in context like Iraq and the others in conflict should be trying to find solutions for, having the flow of information about the health situation in order to have a flow of service for people in need of such services.”
Aid agencies criticized Baghdad for failing to have a plan in place to address the humanitarian fallout from the military campaign to liberate Fallujah.
“It just doesn’t make any sense to have invested so much in a military campaign to defeat Daesh [Islamic State] and not provide lifesaving support to Iraqis in their hours of greatest need,” Lise Grande, deputy special representative of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, told Al Jazeera at the time.
Tens of thousands of civilians in Fallujah and camps around the city still need lifesaving aid.
NGOs are trying to prepare for the liberation of Mosul but are already struggling to help the thousands that are fleeing the military campaigns south of the city and some are again blaming Baghdad.
“We are facing so many problems and we are in shortage of almost everything while Baghdad has played zero role in supporting us with the waves of displaced people,” said Rizgar Ubaid, of the Barzani Charity Foundation and head of the Debega camp receiving some 3,000 people daily fleeing the frontlines.
Up to a million people are expected to flee Mosul. The United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) is coordinating with the Kurdistan Regional Government to have land to accommodate them but is barely able to provide for the numbers they have now.
Josef Merkx, UNHCR’s coordinator for the Kurdistan Region, said they need at least two months to build tents just for the people who have already arrived at the camp, not to mention the increasing needs of tents, food, medicine and water as thousands more flee daily.