Highlights
- Conditions in western Mosul dire with food and water in short supply
- Staff report some children have undergone so much distress that they are unable to speak
- World Vision already serving tens of thousands from eastern Mosul.
ERBIL, Iraq (February 20, 2017) — World Vision is poised to support children and their families expected to flee western Mosul, as a military offensive to re-take the second half of the city gains pace.
The international aid agency is already supporting tens of thousands of people from eastern Mosul, who have been leaving since the initial offensive began in mid-October. Aid workers have been running Child Friendly Spaces and carrying out distributions to help families stay fed and warm during the winter in camps just outside the city.
Ian Dawes, Response Manager for World Vision Iraq, said: “We know that conditions in western Mosul are dire with food and water shortages, and that hundreds of thousands may soon flee”.
“We’re preparing for new arrivals in the camps where we’re already supporting thousands of children who have lived through unimaginable violence in the past two years.
“Many of the arriving children have survived extremely distressing experiences, some even to the point of being unable to speak. Our specialist staff have been providing psychological and emotional support in our child friendly spaces, which is just as important as the immediate physical needs that people have. Many have lost everything they owned after fleeing Mosul.”
The UN believes that up to 650,000 civilians could remain trapped in the western part of the city.
World Vision supports people who have recently left Mosul in Qaymawa, Khazer 2 and Debagah camps while helping to construct additional space in Hasansham U2 Camp. The organization also runs widespread programming across the Kurdish Region of Iraq.
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About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.