|
Iraqi Kurdistan offers safe haven for
fleeing Arabs
13.10.2006
By Frman abdul-Rahman in Sulaimaniyah (ICR No. 198,
13-Oct-06) |
|
|
|
Families from Baghdad and
other cities of Iraq head north to escape death
squads and sectarian violence
Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region (Iraq) ,-- Salah
Abdul-Wahab and his wife sit in the office of the
director of the Sulaimaniyah health department,
anxious to find out whether they will be able to
start a new life.
The director is considering the two dermatologists'
request to transfer from their hometown of Samarra
in the Arab province of Tikrit to this Kurdish city.
After a friend of his, also a doctor, was killed a
month ago, Abdul-Wahab decided to leave. "No one
feels safe in Samarra, every day we see our friends
and relatives killed in front of our eyes," he said.
The couple chose Sulaimaniyah because it is an oasis
of calm compared to other strife-torn cities, which
they no longer deem habitable.
Every day, many Arab families arrive in the cities
of northern Iraq desperate for a respite from the
sectarian and insurgent violence that is spreading
in many areas of southern and central Iraq.
Though Prime Minister Maliki's government has
pledged to restore security and stability, the
number of civilians killed remains high. Officials
estimate that around 100 people fall victim to the
violence every day.
Since getting a visa to travel abroad is difficult
and emigrating to neighbouring countries expensive,
many Iraqis opt for the closest and most accessible
save haven: Kurdistan.
According to statistics from the Sulaimaniyah
Governorate Council, from June to September 2006 as
many as 1000 Sunni and Shia Arab families have come
to live in the city, joining around 7500 Arab
workers who've turned up looking for work.
Jutiar Noori, the deputy governor of Sulaimaniyah,
said the Kurdish authorities are willing to help
those fleeing the violence.
"Our door is open to receive Arab displaced persons
and we will do whatever we can in terms of providing
humanitarian [aid]," he said.
According to Noori, the Sulaimaniyah government has
decided, in discussions with a UN delegation, to set
up two refugee camps in Pjeramagroon and Bareeka on
the outskirts of the city, to settle displaced
persons who cannot afford its spiralling rents.
Before they can settle here, though, the Arab
families are usually vetted by local security
officials to ensure that militants don't sneak in,
security sources say. Once they have been cleared,
they are free to live wherever they like in Iraqi
Kurdistan, in accordance with the constitution.
Residents of Sulaimaniyah appear to be divided over
the influx of people escaping the turmoil in the
rest of the country.
Alan Ghafoor, 25, a teacher, reflects a view held by
some. "I am worried that they will never return," he
said.
"Some are rich people and have started to buy real
estate. I am afraid they could create another Kirkuk
in Sulaimnaiyah."
Oil-rich Kirkuk’s ethnically diverse communities –
which include Kurds, Arabs and Turkoman - all lay
claim to the city, and often accuse each other of
trying to usurp control.
But there others, like Dilkhwaz Hasan, 28, a civil
servant, who see the accommodation of displaced
Arabs as a humanitarian act. "Innocents get hurt in
wars, therefore the Kurds should shelter these
people and protect them from the fire of
sectarianism," he said.
Among the families moving north are some of Kurdish
origin. They spent many years in Baghdad but now
want to leave.
Kurdish shopkeeper Haider Muhammed, 28, was born in
the capital. His family have lived there for 35
years, but after receiving several threatening
letters, they felt they had no other option but to
return to Sulaimaniyah, their native city.
"Death is everywhere in Baghdad. You can't get on a
bus, or go to a mosque or restaurant without
worrying about explosions," said Muhammed.
The Sulaimaniyah authorities are particularly
welcoming of the likes of Salah Abdul-Wahab and his
wife, whose skills are in short supply. Officials
provide them with accommodation and help them settle
in.
Deputy Governor Noori defends the preferential
treatment, "We urgently need specialists [like]
university professors, physicians and engineers
because they benefit the city."
Frman Abdul-Rahman is an IWPR contributor in
Sulaimaniyah.
iwpr net
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 