Iraq: Refugee camps flooded by torrential rain

Thousands of refugees who fled from ISIS in Mosul and the Nineveh Plain to refugee camps in Iraq are now enduring violent storms and floods. Since Wednesday 16 October, torrential rains have hit camps in Erbil and  Ankawa, the predominantly Christian suburb of the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. The Chaldean archdiocese together with humanitarian agencies involved in the rescue of refugees, have launched an appeal to the local authorities and the international community to help those in critical conditions. There are at least a thousand tents scattered in Ankawa.

The government in Baghdad has announced the launch of a project for the construction of thousands of prefabricated housing units intended for refugees, both in Erbil and in Dohuk . But Chaldean priest Paolo Thabit Mekko, who was also a refugee in Ankawa after escaping from Mosul, said: "So far, nothing has been done. The only concrete initiatives come from international organizations and especially from the Church, which is launching a program to rent homes and buy containers that can provide a less precarious shelter compared to tents".

Bishop Nuncio Galantino, Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference, together with the Director of Caritas Italy, Don Francesco Soddu has just concluded a visit among Iraqi refugees. Caritas Iraq, supported by Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Italy, has recently launched a new appeal for 2,422,914 Euros to assist 12,350 families displaced with new food kits and other basic necessities.

Source: Fides