A great number of people in Iraq are taking
refuge in the secure regions in the north (towards Turkey) or in the west
(towards Jordan). As Sid Johann Peruvemba, Head of Emergency Aid of Malteser
Germany, reports from the northern Iraqi border region, current estimations
are assuming 500,000 refugees to arrive. After the military attacks about
85 % of the population of the cities of Mossul, Kirkuk and Dohuk have apparently
left their homes to reach the mountains. A humanitarian tragedy is now
becoming apparent since the Turkish-Iraqi border region is prohibited military
area and still inaccessible for aid.
Malteser Germany has prepared relief
measures for the Iraqi refugees in cooperation with its local partner "International
Blue Crescent" (IBC). Two water purification units and one Emergency
Health Kit, capable of providing 30,000 people, have arrived in the northern
Iraqi city of Erbil. According to information given by Muzaffer Baca, vice-president
of the local partner organisation IBC, the refugees who have already arrived
in Camp Shaklawa in northern Iraq are yet in need of more than 2,000 tents.
For hospitals in Kifri, Erbil and Sulaimaniah in the Kurdish regions, IBC
requires at least 5,000 first-aid-sets. Food supply for more than 10,000
people is urgently needed. In addition, IBC has asked for atropine in order
to be prepared for potential attacks with toxic gas.
Besides the activities in the Turkish-Iraqi border region, Malteser Germany at present also is preparing further relief measures in Jordan.
Malteser Germany donation account:
Account number: 120 120 120
Deutsche Bank 24
Code: 370 700 24
"Iraq crisis"
Further information:
Petra Ipp, Communication Officer, Malteser Germany/Malteser Foreign Aid
Department, Kalker Hauptstr. 22 - 24, D - 51103 Köln/Germany.
Phone: 0049 - 2 21 - 98 22 155, Fax: 0049 - 2 21 - 98 22 179, E-mail: petra.ipp@malteser-ald.de,
Website: www.malteser-ald.de