Upsurge in Displacements since Samarra Bombing
As of the end of April, over 68,000 persons have been displaced due to a recent upsurge of violence since the Samarra Mosque bombing of February 22nd. Some reports from the MoDM have cited figures of up to 100,000 persons displaced across the country.
In response to the surge in IDPs*, IOM is distributing food baskets, blankets, mattresses, jerry cans, kerosene stoves, kitchen sets, and hygienic kits to IDP families. In Baghdad, IOM’s implementing partners have delivered supplies to 470 families. IOM continues to work closely with the Iraqi authorities and the UN working group on IDPs to provide effcient, targeted emergency assistance to those Iraqis most in need.
Source: IOM. Full report here.
*For those not familiar with the jargon. An IDP “internally displaced person” is a refugee inside the country. This photograph of a shi’ite woman and her baby who fled their home was taken today at Diwaniyah refugee camp. Diwaniyah is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Baghdad. This woman fled when gunmen distributed leaflets saying any Shia left in the area would be killed.
Erdla
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I noticed that IOM accepts donations to support medical evacuations from Iraq at
http://iomdonations.kintera.org/
This looks like one small way we can help.
[comment edited to put URI into xhtml format - Erdla]
Thank you for the link Siun - it’s the very least we can do.
(apologies to Erdla for always making extra work on the link front!)