Instability and violence is the daily reality for millions of civilians in Iraq, particularly those still inside the city of Mosul. Mosul has proved a focal point in the ongoing conflict, and hundreds of civilians have been killed by shelling and air raids.
According to UN estimates, as many as 750,000 people are still trapped in Mosul City and are out of the reach of aid agencies. They are running out of food, clean water and medical supplies. Many families have completely exhausted their savings and are forced to burn any materials at hand in order to cook food.
Relief Web estimates that 350,000 children are trapped under siege-like conditions in Mosul, and with essential supplies becoming increasingly scarce, mothers have no choice but to allow their children to drink contaminated water, risking deadly diseases like dysentery.
In some areas, empty markets mean that there’s nothing for children to eat, not even milk for small babies. Children in Mosul face grave protection risks, mainly from the continuing violence that surrounds them.
In February 2017, security operations escalated in Mosul, and in the last two months more than 400,000 people were forced to flee their homes, leaving everything behind.
Human Appeal responded immediately to this developing humanitarian crisis. We were one of the first international NGOs to arrive and distribute aid, focussing initially on flour distribution in the Tahrir quarter and food parcel distribution in Al-Hadba’a. We were also able to install 18 five-cubic-metre water tanks to provide water on a daily basis to three neighbourhoods in West Mosul.
As part of our emergency response model, our operatives on the ground conducted a rapid needs assessment then began to distribute aid. We targeted 2,000 vulnerable families with an average of six members each, and provided them with emergency kits containing food boxes and water bottles. 10,636 needy people benefited from this project.
Some humanitarian access is becoming possible in the retaken urban areas of Mosul City, and Human Appeal has taken this opportunity to deliver first-line emergency assistance.
We identified the most vulnerable families living both inside and outside camps in newly accessible areas, and focused on the Al-Tahrir and Al-Zahraa neighbourhoods in particular, as they had not received any aid for the last three years. Over two days, we managed to distribute 51 tonnes of flour to 1,019 needy families. Each family received 50kg of flour, enough to feed six people for a whole month. 5,298 hungry individuals were fed through this flour distribution programme.
Muslim families in Mosul will not be able to observe Ramadan without our help. Can you imagine fasting all day and having nothing to break your fast with when the sun goes down?
This holy month is a time of increased blessings for charitable acts. Use this opportunity to give generously.
For £65, you can provide an Iraqi family with a food parcel that will last the whole of Ramadan. Just £4 will give a hungry child a hot, nutritious iftar meal. You can end their suffering and make Ramadan special again.
Now is the time to give.
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