"Thousands fleeing the cross-fire after months of besiegement and near starvation deserve relief and care, but our relief supplies will soon be exhausted. The humanitarian community needs immediate funding to avoid a completely avoidable disaster on our watch,” said Jan Egeland, NRC's Secretary General.
A total of 5,317 families have managed to flee to displacement camps in Anbar, Iraq, since 21 May.
The route out of Fallujah is still extremely dangerous and NRC has recently confirmed reports of a father killed and more people injured by an explosive device just a few meters away from Al Salam intersection—the only route through which people trapped inside Fallujah’s city centre have managed to flee in the last days.
More than 200 families are reportedly still stranded in the area waiting to be transported by Iraqi Security Forces to displacement camps.
For those reaching the camps the situation is also dire. NRC is now able to provide just about 3 liters of drinking water per person per day in displacement camps—well below the minimum humanitarian standard of 10 liters.
With temperatures expected to reach 50 degrees Celsius, this is an alarming situation that might lead to consumption of unsafe water, with serious public health consequences particularly for children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.
“Make no mistake: There is absolutely nothing safe for civilians fleeing Fallujah. No safe exits, no safe passage, no safe haven without risking their lives. They risk being shot at, killed by explosive devices on the roads, or drowning while crossing the river. On top of that those who flee IS-controlled areas and manage to make it to safety will soon find out there is very little we can offer them: we are running out of food, drinking water and medical services,” said Egeland.
NRC Emergency Coordinator, Diana Tonea, underlined the needs for people seeking shelter in the camps where we work: “Our emergency food parcels for the newly arrived are expected to last for just another two days for around 15,000 individuals,” Tonea said.
Egeland said: “The current funding is running out as we are overwhelmed by the needs created by this crisis. We cannot let down innocent Iraqi women, children and men just at the moment when they escape from extreme hunger, brutal fighting and despair. This is a moment of truth for international solidarity with Iraqis who have been facing chronic displacement and untold suffering.”
For further comments and information, please contact Karl Schembri, Regional Media Advisor (currently in Baghdad).
Phone number: +964 7733 499 387
Skype: karl.schembri
