Dave Gavlak (Catholic News Service)
Atop Catholic humanitarian group expressed concern for the tens of
thousands of Iraqis displaced inside their country and dependent on
assistance, because access to them has become severely restricted due to
COVID-19.
"The government in the northern Kurdish area of Iraq
has been very careful and restrictive (with regard to measures to tackle
coronavirus), more so than in central or southern Iraq," said Hani
El-Mahdi, Iraq country representative for the U.S. bishops' Catholic
Relief Services. El-Mahdi spoke to CNS by phone from the area's capital,
Irbil.
"But access to people is a challenge," El-Mahdi said of
the current situation as most of Iraq faces lockdown in a bid to stem
the spread of COVID-19. Iraq has reported 1,434 cases of the coronavirus
as of April 17, but some medical professionals claim the number could
be higher.
"Travel between cities and within cities in the first
two to three weeks was very restrictive. Now, the government is looking
into requests (by aid groups) to access certain areas. But still, most
of the nongovernmental organizations and Caritas, whom we work with
closely, and others in Irbil, we are all under the same situation -- we
cannot access the population in these circumstances," El-Mahdi
explained.
"People are stranded more than ever," he said.
El-Mahdi
said nongovernmental organizations and the Kurdish government are
considering how to change the way groups like CRS and Caritas can
operate under the current constraints, perhaps implementing remote
systems and various technologies.
The CRS representative said most
of the organization's work in recent years has been aiding the
"returnees," Iraq's religious minorities, such as Christians, Yazidis
and Shiite Shabak, who were victims of the Islamic State militants'
violent takeover of their towns and villages, both in and outside the
Ninevah Plain region from 2014 until 2017.
This has involved
aiding about 10,000 people by rehabilitating houses and schools,
providing people with livelihood opportunities, educational services and
training as well as encouraging ways to reconcile different religious
and ethnic communities by tackling issues and building social cohesion
among those groups.
CRS
also works with the Archdiocese of Irbil to assist those still
displaced due to the Islamic State invasion who cannot return to their
cities or towns. In the northern city of Dahuk, CRS is helping Yazidis
regain educational opportunities and in Zakho, near the Turkish border,
it hopes to set up a program establishing livelihood activities.
"The
majority of the internally displaced live outside of camps" and in
limited measure can access food markets that are functioning, El-Mahdi
explained. But restrictions due to the coronavirus mean that no one is
permitted to go to offices to work.
"Definitely
our travel out of Irbil and Dahuk is very, very limited. Many of our
current programs, such as shelter rehabilitation and education, are
completely on hold now because schools are closed. Our educational
program has been suspended," he said. "It's still very limited to where
we were in February."
"Over the past two to three weeks, we have
been seriously working with partners trying to restructure many of our
program activities, so we can provide some remote assistance, bring cash
assistance through mobile money. We are thinking about new ways to help
people," El-Mahdi said.
Meanwhile, humanitarians are expressing
concern for the welfare of Syrian refugees and other internally
displaced Iraqis still stuck in camps.
Kurdish media reported that
Turkish warplanes and drones flew into Iraqi airspace and bombed a
refugee camp near Makhmur, some 25 miles south of Irbil, killing three
in the camp April 15.
The media outlets said that the incident was
not the first time Turkey carried out airstrikes against refugees and
in areas where minorities, such as Yazidis, live in northern Iraq. They
reported that Turkey claims it is targeting "terrorists," but has not
presented evidence to back the claim.
In another development, the
U.N. refugee agency announced April 17 that it is trying to provide cash
assistance to some 100,000 vulnerable families in camps for refugees
and internally displaced people so they may purchase basic hygiene items
to prevent the spread of COVID-19. UNHCR is responsible for the camps,
including Basirma refugee camp north of Irbil, where the program has
begun. UNHCR said it would also try to reach the families of returnees
living in urban areas.
"During these difficult times, we must
support those who were forced to flee their homes. Like all of us, they
are worried for their families and for themselves, but they don't have
the necessary means to protect themselves. Cash will help them buy basic
hygiene items, which is an essential preventive measure," said Philippa
Candler, acting representative of UNHCR in Iraq.
The U.N.
children's agency, UNICEF, said it "will provide 1,800 health care
workers with infection-control equipment such as goggles, three-layered
masks and gloves, to support Iraq's health care system." It added that
it is ensuring the continuity of water and wash services in camps for
the internally displaced despite the lockdowns.
El-Mahdi said the
nongovernmental organizations working inside the camps have been trying
to advocate with the U.N. to grant them access to people in the most
dire need.
"The U.N. can help these people to a limited extent,
but without granting access to the NGOs, who are the service providers
to those camps; it is a challenge," he said.
