Emergency relief for millions of displaced persons is drastically underfunded as temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius endanger health
Bonn / Dohuk (30 July 2015) - International aid organization CARE warns that humanitarian needs are greater than ever, a year after tens of thousands of people fled violence in the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq. “A year ago, the whole world was looking at Iraq. The images of the people who fled over the Sinjar mountains, tormented by hunger, thirst and violence shook the world,” recalls Irene Dulz, CARE’ Head of Mission in northern Iraq. “Today, one year later, the displaced are still here in camps and host communities. Unlike last year, however, there is now dramatically less aid money and little attention paid to their continued suffering.”
A highly unstable security situation and prolonged battles, which are unlikely to cease in the coming months, mean that returning to their areas of origin is simply not an option for those displaced in northern Iraq. More than three million people in Iraq are on the run. The United Nations estimates that by the end of the year a further 1.7 million will be added to these numbers.
As the numbers of the displaced continue to rise, significant shortages persist. According to the United Nations, only approximately thirty percent of the necessary aid funds have been secured. Almost one third of all water and sanitation in northern Iraq have been affected by the lack of funds. United Nations food aid assisting over one million displaced persons in northern Iraq has been cut. According to CARE’s Irene Dulz, "The reasons for the funding gap are easy to spot. International attention to the continued suffering in northern Iraq has declined, and donations are correspondingly low. The existing funding gap, combined with the increasing numbers of those in need of humanitarian assistance, means that at present aid funds are not sufficient.”
The summer temperatures of up to 50 degrees exacerbate the plight of people who have found refuge in camps in northern Iraq. Tents offer insufficient protection against the heat and scorching sun. “The health of refugee children is in acute danger. As temperatures continue to rise the number of children suffering from diarrhea increases, food quality decreases and children and the elderly fall ill,” reports Dulz. CARE is providing refrigerators in the camp Berseve I so that food may be safely and hygienically stored to reduce incidences of diarrheal diseases. CARE has built a new water and sanitation structure in the camp, which is specifically geared towards the special needs of girls and women. CARE has also organized waste disposal at the camp and has distributed essential relief items for young children and women. “We know exactly how we can best help and where this help is most desperately needed. The sobering fact is that there is simply not enough money for the necessary assistance. The international community must not wait for another sad record and urgently needs to increase the assistance,” says Dulz.
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