Civilians 'happy' to arrive at UNHCR refugee camp as Iraq's push for Mosul intensifies

Record ID: 84249

  • Title: Civilians 'happy' to arrive at UNHCR refugee camp as Iraq's push for Mosul intensifies
  • Date: 20th October 2016
  • Summary: DEBAGA CAMP, IRAQ (OCTOBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TENTS, HOUSING STRUCTURES IN DEBAGA REFUGEE CAMP, LOCATED 40 KM SOUTH OF ERBIL REFUGEES WALKING ALONG MAIN STREET IN CAMP VARIOUS OF REFUGEES CARRYING MATTRESSES, BLANKETS, OTHER ITEMS THROUGH CAMP REFUGEES AT CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RECENT ARRIVAL TO DEBAGA CAMP, UM HASSAN, SAYING: "We came here at night and Daesh (Arabic acronym for Islamic State) followed us. We were scared because every road we took could have explosives on it. The Peshmerga forces found us and treated us well, they brought us here by car. Here we are happy, there the situation was dire - we had no food, no water. Everything was terrible, we suffered a lot." REFUGEES GATHERED IN CLASSROOM IN CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RECENT ARRIVAL TO DEBAGA CAMP, UM HASSAN, SAYING: "There were so many problems, women cannot leave the house without covering her face, men have to have long beards and short trousers. We could do nothing without their permission." CHILD SLEEPING ON GROUND ELDERLY WOMAN ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GENERAL MANAGER OF CAMP, REZGAR OBEID, SAYING: "There are more than 31 thousand refugees in Debaga at the moment. After the operation to free Mosul the number has increased. Families are arriving every day, especially from Queair and Hamdaniya." VARIOUS OF WOMEN WASHING CLOTHES FAMILIES GATHERED IN CAMP
  • Embargoed: 4th November 2016 13:34
  • Keywords: Kurdish Peshmerga Islamic State IS Iraq Mosul Debaga camp refugees civilians UNHCR
  • Location: DEBAGA CAMP, IRAQ
  • City: DEBAGA CAMP, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA00154T9S93
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Civilians were arriving at the UNHCR's Debaga refugee camp in Iraq on Thursday (October 20) as the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga's operation to retake Mosul from Islamic State intensified.
    Debaga is one of five camps the UNHCR -- the U.N.'s refugee agency -- has opened and has the capacity to shelter 45,000 people, the agency says.
    The camp, located 40 km (25 miles) south of the Kurdish capital of Erbil, is already home to more than 30,000.
    One recent arrival told Reuters they she faced a very difficult route to safety.
    "We came here at night and Daesh (Arabic acronym for Islamic State) followed us. We were scared because every road we took could have explosives on it. The Peshmerga forces found us and treated us well, they brought us here by car. Here we are happy, there the situation was dire - we had no food, no water. Everything was terrible, we suffered a lot."
    The camp general manager said his team was catering to more than 31 thousand refugees and current arrivals were from Queair and Hamdaniya. Iraqi army units launched an operation to take Hamdaniya on Tuesday (October 18).
    Another camp official told Reuters on Wednesday (October 19) 100 and 150 families were arriving daily, comprising around 600 to 700 people.
    Iraqi Prime Minister Haider-al Abadi said on Thursday the operation, launched on Monday (October 17), was going faster than planned.
    Mosul is the last big city stronghold held by Islamic State in Iraq.
    The United Nations has said the battle would require the world's biggest and most complex humanitarian effort, which could leave up to one million people homeless and see civilians used as human shields or even gassed.
    There are already more than three million people displaced in Iraq as a result of conflicts involving Islamic State and up to 100,000 Iraqis may flee Mosul to Syria and Turkey.
    In Mosul itself, medicine is in short supply and food prices have risen sharply.
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