“The UN
refugee agency said on Tuesday that its NGO partners estimated that
as many as 35,000 people had managed to reach Iraqi Kurdistan's
Dohuk governorate. 'The new arrivals are exhausted, dehydrated and
many have suffered sun or heat stroke, with the daily temperatures
reaching 40 to 45 degrees Celsius,' UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards
said in Geneva.”
“As of
now, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people remain trapped on Sinjar
Mountain without food, water or shelter. Access to these families
is extremely limited.”
“According
to the mayor of Zakho, his city of 350,000 people located just a few
kilometres from the Turkish border, is hosting some 100,000 displaced
people, mainly from Sinjar and Zumar, who have fled there over
the past week. The local authorities have opened schools and
community buildings to house the displaced, who are also taking
shelter under bridges and in unfinished buildings.”
“Dohuk
governorate is now hosting close to 400,000 displaced Iraqis,
including Yazidis, Christians, Shabak, Kakai, Armenian and Turkmen
minorities – some of whom have endured repeated displacement.”
“They
are scattered across hundreds of sites. Some are staying with
relatives, others are in schools, churches, mosques, parks and
shells of apartment buildings without water or electricity."
“Between
7,000 to 10,000 people are staying at the Bajet Kandela camp –
a former reception centre for Syrian refugees, most of whom passed
through there two years ago after crossing the border at
Peshkhabour.”
“In
all, there are more than 1.2 million internally displaced people in
Iraq, including an estimated 700,000 in the Kurdistan region, which
already hosts some 220,000 Syrian refugees.”
“Meanwhile,
another 10,000 to 15,000 Yazidi Iraqis fleeing Sinjar have arrived
in Syria. Most are staying in the Newroz camp near Al Qamishli,
run by local NGOs. Other refugees are scattered among various Yazidi
villages in Qahtania or urban areas.”
Update:
“One
UNHCR staff member in Newroz described the situation as a
'humanitarian tragedy' and said 'people
arrive in the camp extremely weak, thirsty, traumatized, especially
women and children.' Their feet are covered in blisters, having spent
days on Mount Sinjar in searing temperatures without food, water or
shelter after fleeing for their lives, then walking many hours – in
some cases days – to find safety.”
“A
fleet of 20 trucks on Tuesday and Wednesday brought some 5,000 to the
camp, which is located near the city of Qamishly. New arrivals tell
aid workers about their grave concerns for others of their community
weakened from days on the mountain and the long walk to safety.”
“Many
refugee families have been separated, scattered between Sinjar, Syria
and the Kurdistan region of Iraq; some children have been separated
from their parents in the chaos. Many refugees say they had to leave
behind older people whom they could not carry. Others who made it
safely to Newroz backed reports of young girls and women forced to
stay behind and being sold. Families say that their young men were
killed.”
“UNHCR
is coordinating the UN response in Syria to the Yazidi refugee
crisis, which is rapidly scaling up.”
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