Mosul displaced find refuge in camp

Mosul displaced find refuge in camp

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Like Hanyeih Ibraheem, many families who have taken refuge in Hammam al-Alil camp said they went through a 48 hours gruelling journey to flee Mosul. Hanyeih and her family, who includes her sons and two daughter-in-law, left West Mosul at daybreak.

. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

The husband of Orouba Abdelhamid was killed in a rocket strike when Iraqi government forces arrived in her home city Mosul as part of the military campaign to expel Islamic State fighters.

The 31-year-old Orouba was then trapped at home for days as her district in western Mosul turned into a battle zone between the government and the militants defending their last stronghold in Iraq. She eventually managed to flee with her three children.

"No one is left for me over there so I came here ... I cannot return to the house," she told Reuters, sitting in the tent she shares with her brother's family in the Hammam al-Alil camp, which is home to some 30,000 displaced people.

Orouba was eventually reunited with her brother in the camp after the two had had little contact since Islamic State overran Mosul in June 2014 and banned mobile phones under their extreme version of Sunni Islam.

. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem
Amjad Galadi, 20, and his wife, who got married three years ago, were anxious to save the children from shelling and air strikes. Galadi remembered covering his children's eyes as they escaped. The children are one, two and three years old.

Those who have fled Iraq's second largest city describe a gruelling journey, where in some instances entire neighbourhoods have left together, often at daybreak, sometimes under mortar shelling or air strikes.

Fathers covered their children's eyes, neighbours helped carry the disabled, and men were often separated from their wives to be questioned by the Iraqi army manning the checkpoints around the city.

. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem
Gorha Mahmoud (left), 40, says she sees no future for her family even after the defeat of Islamic State. Her two children, being over six years old, attend morning class in the camp's school just 200 meters away. It took the family 48 hours to reach the camp but they had to wait another 24 hours at the camp's gate, in the rain and the cold, before being authorised inside and given a tent. They have been in the camp for over a month.

Like many others, Gorha Mahmoud said she and her family walked for 48 hours in the rain and cold before reaching Hammam al-Alil. They had to wait a further 24 hours at the entrance gate as there was no tent for them at first.

In the camp, a semblance of normality has returned for the families. Children over six attend morning classes, women carry out domestic chores while men look for work and food.

"Here life is normal. The aid is plentiful and the people are nice," Orouba said.

. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem
Abed Ramadan (right), 37, and his family fled while their district was being shelled.

The United Nations refugee agency said in March it had opened two new camps to host those fleeing the fighting in Mosul, adding 40,000 places to its existing facilities.

More than 302,000 people have left Mosul since the military campaign began in October, according to the International Organization for Migration. Around 30,000 people were displaced last week alone.

. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem
Lafi and his family, thirteen people, live in the tent. In Mosul, they all lived under the same roof. In the camp, the adults spend a lot of time looking for food and water, Lafi said.

Even worse, some 400,000 people are still trapped in western Mosul while the battles rage.

Mahmoud Abu Mohamed, who lives in a tent around the corner from Orouba after also fleeing from Mosul with his family, said the government needed to restore water in the city and remove dangerous debris from the fighting before people would return.

"If the water returns, everyone will go back," he said.

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Doha Ahmed's husband, a construction worker, is away looking for food. Ahmed said she has to search every morning milk and baby food for her children, aged between one and nine. She said the family and about 1,000 people from the same neighbourhood in Western Mosul flew together under mortar shelling just before sunrise. They walked until they reached checkpoints manned by the Iraqi army. From there, army trucks took them to the camp.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Doha Ahmed's husband, a construction worker, is away looking for food. Ahmed said she has to search every morning milk and baby food for her children, aged between one and nine. She said the family and about 1,000 people from the same neighbourhood in Western Mosul flew together under mortar shelling just before sunrise. They walked until they reached checkpoints manned by the Iraqi army. From there, army trucks took them to the camp.

Radwan Sharif, 35, a construction worker, said it took him two days to reach the camp with his family from their home in Mosul. It was raining heavily and his wife was scared, he said. Two of his children go to school in the camp.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Radwan Sharif, 35, a construction worker, said it took him two days to reach the camp with his family from their home in Mosul. It was raining heavily and his wife was scared, he said. Two of his children go to school in the camp.

Ahmed Yassin, 30, a taxi driver from East Mosul, says he is trying to keep his two-year-old daughter Malk busy to forget the war. There is little to do but he takes her for tours in the camp to get her out of the tent where he lives with his wife, whom he married three years ago. The family got split when they escaped Mosul; he was arrested for security checks for two days. His wife and child arrived first in the camp, he joined them later. They have been in the camp for a month.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Ahmed Yassin, 30, a taxi driver from East Mosul, says he is trying to keep his two-year-old daughter Malk busy to forget the war. There is little to do but he takes her for tours in the camp to get her out of the tent where he lives with his wife, whom he married three years ago. The family got split when they escaped Mosul; he was arrested for security checks for two days. His wife and child arrived first in the camp, he joined them later. They have been in the camp for a month.

Aziz Azawi, 50, and his son are unable to move unassisted, which made the escape even more difficult. He said a neighbour carried his son. In the camp, his wife cares for both of them. They are receiving food and medicine. They have been in the camp for about a month.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Aziz Azawi, 50, and his son are unable to move unassisted, which made the escape even more difficult. He said a neighbour carried his son. In the camp, his wife cares for both of them. They are receiving food and medicine. They have been in the camp for about a month.

Abdullah Mustafa, 38, a construction worker, said his family house was shelled in a mortar attack while they were inside but fortunately no one was hurt. Two days later, they fled their home.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Abdullah Mustafa, 38, a construction worker, said his family house was shelled in a mortar attack while they were inside but fortunately no one was hurt. Two days later, they fled their home.

Farah Taha, 60, said she has been unable to find any work to support her family since fleeing their Mosul home.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Farah Taha, 60, said she has been unable to find any work to support her family since fleeing their Mosul home.

Meshal Hadi (center), 65, a well-off businessman in his former life, said the family had to flee because of the shelling and the lack of water and electricity. During the day, women keep the tent clean while men look for food. They lost contact with friends or neighbours and want to go back home as soon as possible.
. Hammam Al-Alil, Iraq. Reuters/Suhaib Salem

Meshal Hadi (center), 65, a well-off businessman in his former life, said the family had to flee because of the shelling and the lack of water and electricity. During the day, women keep the tent clean while men look for food. They lost contact with friends or neighbours and want to go back home as soon as possible.