IOM: 350 displaced Iraqi families arrive in Qayara

A total of 350 Iraqi families, or 1,900 people displaced from Mosul city, have arrived in Qayara district and are in need of critical, life-saving assistance, the International Organization for Migration Country said in a statement on Thursday.

Non-Food Item (NFI) stocks were mobilized quickly to Qayara to meet the needs of the newly displaced from al-Hud. IOM is among the first agencies to distribute winter NFI kits in this area. 

Trucks with the NFI kits crossed a makeshift pontoon bridge which is in place as a temporary substitute after the original bridge was destroyed in order to have the kits in place. 150 kits were distributed yesterday with the rest of the kits to be distributed today.

“IOM’s top priority is to make sure that those who are displaced as a result of military operations have a place to go, and to ensure that they are treated with respect and dignity. The construction of emergency sites is expected to move quickly, thanks to the continued support of the Government of Iraq. IOM is working diligently to ensure sites are safe, well-planned and adaptable to the needs of displaced populations,” said IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Weiss.

Based on the Government of Iraq’s plans, it is envisaged that internally displaced people will be directed to emergency sites in secure locations. Technical assessments of emergency sites in Haj Ali and the Qayara Airstrip are of top priority so construction can begin in order to be prepared for projected population displacement.

Two IOM rub halls (large tents) will be installed on Monday, 24 October for storage as site construction gets underway. This site is projected to take up to 30 days to complete, and CAN accommodate up to 60,000 internally displaced people in its initial iteration with the potential to expand based on need.

At the Hajj Ali Emergency Site, IOM has been taking THE lead in technical assessment and site-planning, and the contractor will be mobilized to start construction. It may take up to 45 days to complete all 7,500 plots though there will be provisions to accommodate 300 families immediately.

Source: MENA