- Title: Iraqi families reunited in Khazer camp after fleeing Mosul
- Date: 27th October 2016
- Summary: KHAZER CAMP, EAST OF MOSUL, IRAQ (OCTOBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM MOSUL WALKING ALONG RIDGE NEAR FENCE SURROUNDING CAMP TWO MALE RELATIVES WHO ARE DISPLACED EMBRACE DISPLACED FAMILIES SITTING BESIDE THE FENCE OF THE CAMP DISPLACED PEOPLE AT CAMP DISPLACED MAN IN CHECKED SHIRT SAYING (Arabic): "THANK GOD" / TALKING THROUGH FENCE TO HIS MOTHER AND SISTERS AFTER THEY ARRIVED FROM AREAS NEAR MOSUL MOTHER HOLDING MAN'S HAND THROUGH FENCE MAN STRETCHING ARM OVER FENCE TOWARDS RELATIVES HE HAS NOT SEEN FOR TWO YEARS VARIOUS OF FAMILIES SITTING ON GROUND WITH AID PACKAGES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN IN RED HEADSCARF, SAYING: "There was fighting all along the road, but thank God, the army saved us from them (Islamic State)." JOURNALIST SAYING (Arabic): "How was the treatment of the army with you?" WOMAN: "They treated us well, thank God." FAMILIES AT FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED MAN FROM TUB ZAWA VILLAGE NEAR MOSUL, ALI (ONLY NAME GIVEN), SAYING: "The army was very good with us. They moved us to safe areas and then they loaded us on cars and brought us here." JOURNALIST SAYING (Arabic): "Have you received aid?" ALI: "Yes, thank God they gave us aid." JOURNALIST: "What do you want to say to Daesh?" ALI: "They will not hold on more than a week, because they (Iraqi forces) have retaken a large number of villages and they are very close to Mosul." JOURNALIST: "What is your name?" ALI: "My name is Ali. I want to get rid of this (pointing to his beard). I can not sleep at night because of it and even my wife does not like my look." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERED AT THE FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNDER-SECRETARY OF MIGRATION AND DISPLACEMENT, JASSIM AL-ATIYA, SAYING: "The government armed forces transport displaced people from the frontlines to the screening centres and after screening they are moved by the ministry of transport to the camps. Today the process went very smoothly. The (migration and displacement) ministry employees are at the camp and the organisations too. Humanitarian aid was distributed and the families will be processed for final screening. Then they will go to receive tents and the organisation and the ministry has started to distribute food. We've already made security arrangements with the officials in charge of the camp to move the sick people to hospital." VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE GATHERED NEAR FENCE VARIOUS OF KHAZER CAMP SEEN FROM A DISTANCE DISPLACED IRAQI FAMILY WALKING THROUGH THE CAMP DISPLACED MAN AND GIRL DRAGGING A MATTRESS ALONG A DIRT ROAD AID WORKERS SPEAKING TO DISPLACED PEOPLE VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE BESIDE TENTS IRAQI RED CRESCENT OFFICIAL, RASHWAN BAYEZ, WITH COLLEAGUE / DISPLACED PEOPLE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI RED CRESCENT OFFICIAL, RASHWAN BAYEZ, SAYING: "Yesterday (October 25), 189 families fled from the village of Tub Zawa and the village of Bashiqa. The number of individuals was around 1,070 people. We at the Iraqi Red Crescent in co-ordination with the French Red Cross have come to distribute non-perishable items." FAMILIES WITH AID PACKAGES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED MAN FROM TUB ZAWA, SABHAN BEIJWANI, SAYING: "We were their prisoners. There was no TV, no satellite dishes, no mobiles, nothing. We had to keep our beards long, we could not shave, our pants had to be short, and you had to go to the mosque. If you did not go to the mosque you would be punished." MAN DRAGGING MATTRESS ALONG THE DIRT ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED MAN FROM TUB ZAWA, AYAD MOHAMMED, SAYING: "They (Iraqi army) came at a time like this to the area, and they liberated us. We stayed overnight, then they let us get in our cars and go. For those who do not own cars, they transported them in lorries to the camp." DISPLACED PEOPLE DRAGGING AID ITEMS VARIOUS OF WOMEN GREETING AND HUGGING EACH OTHER PEOPLE DRAGGING AID ALONG THE DIRT ROAD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING MATTRESSES AND AID PACKAGES CHILDREN SITTING ON BOTTLES OF WATER WOMAN WASHING CLOTHES IN A BUCKET VARIOUS OF AID WORKERS DISTRIBUTING PACKAGES MAN CARRYING BOX OF AID AND SLEEPING MATS, AID WORKER STACKING WATER ON TOP OF WHAT HE IS CARRYING
- Embargoed: 11th November 2016 11:36
- Keywords: Khazar camp Islamic State Mosul Iraq
- Location: KHAZER CAMP, EAST OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: KHAZER CAMP, EAST OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00155S5TFR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A thousand people arrived in Khazer camp on Tuesday (October 25), some reunited with relatives who they have not seen since Islamic State took control of the northern Iraqi city two years ago.
Many walked or drove for hours until they reached the camp which is located 20 kilometres (13 miles) east of Mosul.
The Mosul campaign, which aims to crush the Iraqi half of Islamic State's declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria, may become the biggest battle yet in the 13 years since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and is expected to require a massive humanitarian relief operation.
It is thought approximately 1.5 million residents remain in the city and worst-case forecasts see up to a million being displaced, according to the United Nations.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), more than 10,500 people - half of them children - are currently displaced as a result of the Mosul operation and in need of humanitarian aid.
The NRC is providing emergency food parcels, drinking water, hygiene and baby kits to displaced families in Khazer camp.
Director of the NRC in Iraq, Wolfgang Gressman said that they are distributing life-saving assistance including water, food and hygiene kits with other aid agencies providing shelter and mattresses.
"We are working around the clock to be able to meet the rapidly increasing needs and we are extremely concerned. The Norwegian Refugee Council expects that more than 200,000 people might arrive over the next couple of weeks while preparations are still ongoing to set up camps like the one," Gressman said.
About 90 Islamic State-held villages and towns have been retaken in the first week of the offensive, bringing Iraqi and Kurdish forces closer to the edge of the city itself - where the battle will be hardest fought. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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