Guest post by Matt Hewett, Canadian Red Cross Disaster Manager (Business Solution Manager for Disaster Management)
The minute I step into Khanqeh Camp in Dohuk in Northern Iraq, I’m surrounded by elderly men and women, expecting mothers and children - some the age of my own kids. Rapid advances of militant groups in Iraq have forced them to flee their homes, leaving behind most of their personal belongings and all the things they hold dear.
The stark difference between my reality and theirs tugs at my heart. In a flash, I think of the safety of my country, the comfort of my home and all the things I take for granted. As I help to distribute mattresses and blankets to the men and women around me, I sense their desperation. I also sense the urgency of mobilizing the support they need to help them maintain their dignity and to try and alleviate some of their hardships.
The recent waves of violence in Northern Iraq have prompted a mass exodus towards Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Estimates put the number of people displaced in Kurdistan at 850,000. The rapid influx of the internally displaced has strained resources and infrastructure and overstretched existing services including health and social services. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people in Northern Iraq have been left to cope without adequate food, water, shelter or health services.
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A displaced little girl holds on to a bottle of water in Khanke Camp. Photo credit: Wassem Al Bakri, Iraqi Red Crescent Society
I am one of three Canadian Red Cross humanitarian workers deployed to Iraq as part of an operation led by the IFRC to provide technical support, assess the needs of the internally displaced and help out with the distribution of food and household items. You can help support relief efforts by Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners by donating to the Middle East and North Africa Fund.
The funds provided will go towards meeting urgent needs for medicines and medical supplies and help to ensure that displaced families receive food parcels, hygiene items, blankets and various household items, including cooking utensils and kerosene heaters ahead of the upcoming winter.
Humanitarian assistance is a lifeline for people in need. You can help by donating today.
