John Watt, CARE’s Country Director in Northern Iraq describes CARE’s current preparations to help people who might flee once fighting for Mosul intensifies.
What is the humanitarian situation in Iraq?
Currently, there are 3.3 million people in Iraq who were forced to leave their homes due to fighting and insecurity. In total, ten million Iraqis need humanitarian assistance and struggle to survive every day in a country torn by conflict. Over the entire last decade, Northern Iraq, also known as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), has been hosting over 1.3 million displaced people from different areas of Iraq and has received some 245,000 Syrian refugees since the Syrian civil war started six years ago.
Surviving in Iraq is unimaginable for many of us living in Europe or Northern America. The constant fear of attacks, the permanent uncertainty how to nourish your children, the lack of hospitals and schools is a daily reality for many families.
What exactly is going to happen in Mosul?
The city of Mosul has been under siege for many months now after it has been taken by militants. Aid organizations have not been able to access the city since summer 2014, it is simply too dangerous for us to provide support. Once the military campaign and the fight for Mosul intensifies, CARE and other humanitarian organizations expect the humanitarian impact to be extremely high: the entire population of 1.2 million people could be affected and in high need of food, water, medical supplies and health care. Many families will likely choose to leave the city, often under extreme risks, leaving everything they possess at home, not knowing when they would be able to return.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is describing the humanitarian operation in Mosul as likely to be the single largest, most complex in the world in 2016.
How many people are you expecting to be displaced?
This is very difficult to predict. Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq. Since mid-June, some 84,000 people already fled the city as Iraqi security forces have advanced. The UN reckons with up to 660,000 people who could be displaced from Mosul and the areas surrounding it. While some might find transport, many families will literally flee by foot. Depending on when the fighting will intensify, people might have to walk in extreme heat conditions as even in October, temperatures can rise over 30 degrees. This will add on an already dire humanitarian landscape: Iraq is already facing one of the most severe displacement situations in the world. Many families are constantly on the move in search for safety.
What are the special needs of the displaced, especially women and girls?
CARE is predicting that over 46,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women could be affected by the military offensive towards Mosul given their and their babies’ special needs for nutrition and medical attention. Imagine the stress, trauma and physical strain pregnant and breastfeeding women would experience if they have to walk for hours or even days to reach the safe havens of Northern Iraq.
The current and ongoing conflict has already left many people in Mosul vulnerable and communities under siege struggle to survive every day. In addition to the basic humanitarian needs many people will likely need psychosocial support. They had to experience so much violence over the past years and need support to overcome trauma and depression.
What is CARE doing to prepare?
My colleagues and I are now working around the clock together with the local government authorities, UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations in Northern Iraq to develop contingency plans so we are ready to provide humanitarian aid to people if needed. CARE is currently prepositioning water bottles and other relief supplies at our warehouse. In addition, we are providing equipment and nutrition supplements for maternal health clinics in Northern Iraq, bolstering their capacity to treat and support pregnant women from Mosul and other areas.
Shelter from the elements, relief supplies for hygiene and public health, waste disposal and solid waste management are areas where CARE can provide humanitarian support for displaced women and other vulnerable groups such as handicapped, injured, elderly people without support from their families and unaccompanied minors.
However, we can have the best plan and the best team in place – if we don’t get sufficient funding we won’t be able to help people on a larger scale once they start fleeing Mosul. I therefore ask everyone – private and institutional donors - to help us prepare. Prepositioning goods and equipment ready for such a fast response has proven to save lives and reduces the levels of suffering for people that have to flee such a terrible conflict.