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Kurdistan: Duhok flooded with Arab refuges
from Iraq
28.10.2006
By Khidhir Domle |
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Duhok, Kurdistan Region (Iraq), October 28
The migration of those families, nevertheless, has
directly affected the nature of life, creating many
big problems for the administration in the province.
"Many people in Duhok do
not speak Arabic," a woman, who has moved to Duhok
from Baghdad, says. "And those who do know Arabic,
refuse to use it." Not sure of why Arabic is being
abandoned, she adds that the schools where Arabic is
taught are not well prepared and there are no
qualified professional Arabic teachers to teach the
language. "And I cannot find a job that meets my
qualification," she complains.
Since the breakout of violence in Iraq three years
ago, more than 10,000 families have sought refuge in
the Northern Province in Duhok, near Iraq-Turkish
border, making it quite hard for the local
authorities and humanitarian organizations in the
area to render aides to them, a top official of The
Iraqi Committee of the Red Crescent Society (IRCS)
said.
This unexpected flow of refugees has been rapidly
increasing and directly affecting the public life
and has led to a sharp increase in rent prices and
inflation in the market. Fuel shortage also remains
one of the main problems.
Although authorities in the city of Duhok say they
have been exerting efforts to soften the sufferings
of these asylum seekers; they have not been able to
fully reach out every one and offer proper
assistance.
The source from IRCS said that their community has
been continuing its works to distribute various
types of aid among the families who have fled their
homes. "The number of families arriving in Duhok has
gone up, and by the mid October 2006, exceeded six
thousand families," the source said adding that they
have all been provided assistance, he said.
"The aid included household needs, blankets and
tents," Mr. Shukri Qasim, Head of the Committee
said.
"The Committee is continuing in handing out more
support to the emigrants," he said. "Ninety percent
of those Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are
Christians who are originally from Duhok," he
confirmed, adding that they were living in Baghdad
and Mosul but have returned to avoid violence and
the deteriorated security in the two cities.
"A program for the winter has been set up," Head of
the Duhok Branch of the IRCS said, "this program
will cover most emigrants from different Iraqi
governorates." he added that the religious extremism
against the Christians following the Pope's
statements and the stability witnessed in Duhok are
what have forced these families to take refuge in
the province of Duhok.
He added that the total number of the displaced
families, which have been registered and resettled
in Duhok, however, is ten thousand six hundred up to
date. "Perhaps, There are more families," he said.
In fact, many families have not yet registered their
names with the IRCS; they live with their relatives,
since the authorities there say "they do not need
our helps."
The migration of those families, nevertheless, has
directly affected the nature of life, creating many
big problems for the administration in the province.
Mr. Majid Sayid Salih, Mayor of Duhok confirmed the
wide range displacement. He said, "Since there are
no shelters for the displaced, the migration has
resulted in higher rent prices." He added that
safeguarding of fuel has been another big crisis due
to fuel being shared out according to coupons, which
these families do not have.
He further expressed his concern by saying that the
displaced have been unable to transfer their coupons
to Duhok, which creates yet another dilemma.
The other setback is non-existence of enough schools
to teach Arabic. "Although there are some schools
that teach Arabic," he said, "but the families
cannot provide their children documents for
transferring." He complained, saying transferring
their kids is an issue related to the directorates
of education in governorates they came from.
The displaced people do not look at these problems
as key ones. But they are, however, complaining
about the increase in the price of rent. They are
also asking the government to provide them with gas
coupons in order to be able to receive gas.
Gazi Khoshaba fled Baghdad a year ago for fear of
threats he received. "We are originally from this
area," he said, "but we do not have any official
documents at least to pave way to get fuel," raising
concerns about the nearing of the winter which can
get quite cold in Kurdistan.
Since there are no shelters for the displaced, the
migration has resulted in higher rent prices.
Majid Sayid Salih
For Um Rami, however, it has been a while that she
has brought her family from Baghdad. "We do not have
real difficulties here," she said.
The rest of the displaced people had a common ground
for their disarticulation, and the instability and
increase of religious extremism are the two main
reasons for that.
"Frankly, we were not exposed directly to threats,"
Barakat Ibrahim of Baghdad al-Jadida said. "But the
danger was everywhere around us." He said it was
difficult to go shopping or to even go to school
because they were Kurdish. "We were being sworn at
all the time."
Another complaint that Ibrahim had was the
unavailability of the university departments in the
city that his children were attending in Baghdad
universities. "None of the fields of my kids'
studies are found here in the University of Duhok,"
adding, "?and the rent is so high."
"Is it possible to be paying 750,000 Dindars ($ 500
US) in rent a month for a three-bedroom house?"
Despite these problems, other previous concerns seem
to have been of much more importance than the high
costs of living these people are going through. "My
top priority was how to escape from the threats,
which I was exposed to continuously," Ibahim added.
"It is very hard to go on under unremitting threats
of murder or abduction."
Um Maryam, from Baghdad, has three daughters. She
has been struggling with the language barrier. "Many
people in Duhok do not speak Arabic," she said, "and
if they do, they refuse to use it." She said that
she did not know the reason behind abandoning
Arabic, adding that the schools where Arabic is
taught are not well prepared either. "There are no
qualified professional Arabic teachers and I cannot
find a job that meets my qualification."
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