Iraq - An IOM Iraq team has visited the recently retaken area of Qayara to hand over the Qayara Airstrip emergency site to contractors, and to distribute 350 winter non-food item (NFI) kits to people from al-Hud, an area recently retaken from ISIL.

IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix “Emergency Tracking” has so far identified 690 families (4,140 individuals) who have been displaced from Mosul district; many of these families have moved to Qayara and are in need of life-saving assistance. 

NFI stocks were sent to Qayara to meet the immediate needs of the newly displaced from al-Hud. IOM is among the first agencies to distribute winter NFI kits in the area. Trucks with the kits crossed a makeshift pontoon bridge, which is in place as a temporary substitute after the original bridge was destroyed. Some 150 kits were distributed yesterday, with the rest distributed today.

“ISIL took things away from us, but you are bringing us help. Under ISIL, we were living in the dark. Now we are free, we are back in the light,” said Ahmed, 65. 

The Iraqi government plans to direct internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Mosul to several emergency sites in secure locations.  Technical assessments of emergency sites in Haj Ali and the Qayara Airstrip are underway to allow construction to begin. 

During the on-site assessment at the Qayara Airstrip yesterday, IOM met with the contractor to draw up work and resource mobilization plans. IOM will facilitate activities to be undertaken immediately by the Iraqi Security Forces and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to verify the land is appropriate for the construction of 1,440 plots.

Two IOM rub halls (large tents) will be installed on Monday, 24 October, for storage as site construction gets underway. The site is projected to take up to 30 days to complete, and will accommodate up to 60,000 IDPs in its initial phase. If necessary, it can then be expanded as required.

At the Hajj Ali Emergency Site, IOM has taken the lead in technical assessment and site-planning and the contractor will be mobilized to start construction shortly. It may take up to 45 days to complete all 7,500 plots, but there will be provisions to accommodate 300 families immediately.

Further sites are planned, subject to the availability of funding and security, including mine clearance. Emergency sites can be established faster than regular IDP camps. They initially only provide basic services such as shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, but can be upgraded to improve the living conditions of residents, depending on the duration of their displacement.

Mosul Conflict-Related Displacement since 17th October 2016

“IOM’s top priority is to make sure that people displaced due to military operations have a place to go, and to ensure that they are treated with respect and dignity. The construction of emergency sites is expected to move quickly, thanks to the continued support of the Government of Iraq. IOM is working to ensure sites are safe, well-planned and adaptable to the needs of displaced families,” said IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Weiss.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Sparks at IOM Iraq, Email: jsparks@iom.int, Tel. +964 751 740 1642.