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Iraqi Refugees Run From Violence to Safe
Kurdistan
24.12.2006
By Mohammed A. Salih |
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Erbil, Kurdistan
region (Iraq), December 24, -- Khanzad, 26,
originally Kurdish, returned to Erbil with her
family in mid-2004 after 16 years
of living in Baghdad. Like many coming from the
violence-stricken city, she has a harrowing story to
tell.
A number of armed robbers broke into their house on
a sunny day in summer. Khanzad and her sisters
locked themselves in a room and picked up their
guns.
Their father, who was sleeping, woke up when he
heard the screams of his daughters. He fired at the
masked intruders, killing three. The others fled.
Khanzad's brother suffered head injuries from blows
by the armed men.
Later the father had to pay ransom to the thieves'
tribe, in compensation for the dead.
Khanzad often thinks of Baghdad. "Although Baghdad
is now unsafe, its image imprinted on my heart is
still a nice one," she said. "If it was not for my
parents, I would go from here to Baghdad barefoot."
Although much of the violence in present Iraq is
sectarian, a good deal of violence comes from gangs
and organised crime bands.
Under the impact of this violence from all sides,
the wave of refugees has risen, particularly
following the February 2006 attacks on the holy Shia
mosques of Samarra, 125 km north of Baghdad.
Kurdistan autonomous region, in the northern part of
the country, is now home to more than 50,000
internally displaced persons (IDPs) from volatile
regions of the country.
According to the Erbil branch of the Iraqi Red
Crescent Society (IRCS), 439 families escaped to
Erbil only during the first three weeks of this
month.
"The influx of refugees is considerably on the rise,
because of the deteriorating situation in their
areas," Imad Maruf, head of the disaster and relief
department of IRCS in Erbil told IPS.
"This figure relates only to those families who have
been registered, and there are many others who are
not registered yet."
Like Imad, other local authorities IPS spoke to
expressed concern over the rising tide of refugees.
They say the regional government has very limited
resources to accommodate them.
Many worry that an all-out civil war may result in a
human catastrophe, with tens of thousands dead and
millions displaced.
The regional government in Kurdistan had unveiled a
plan earlier this year to build camps for refugees.
But several local officials told IPS that the plan
was cancelled for lack of cooperation from
international agencies.
The influx of refugees has led to sharp increase in
rents. This has created problems both for the
refugees and the original residents. Many families
complain they cannot afford the rents, since many
are still jobless and are living on their savings.
Rent prices have doubled compared to 2004, and
inflation is running high. All this while salaries
have hardly increased.
Sarmad Shamun, 28, a Christian, is working hard with
his father and elder brother to keep the family
going. They left their electric goods shop in the
ethnically mixed Dora neighbourhood of Baghdad to
resettle in Erbil last summer. They pay 600 dollars
rent for a three-room house, very high by Iraqi
standards.
"Almost all we earn goes for the rent," he said.
"Things are very expensive here and there is not
that much work. It's a hard life."
In a further exacerbation of the problem, fleeing
Christians have been increasingly targeted by
extremist Islamic groups over the past
three-and-a-half years. Christians taking refuge in
Kurdistan are offered a monthly aid of about 100
dollars by a Christian organisation.
"We have never interfered in politics and have never
been members of any political party," said Jamila,
51. "We are not demanding that much, only a peaceful
and decent life for ourselves and our children."
IPS
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