Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Erbil (Agenzia Fides) - On Wednesday afternoon, October 16 rains intensified in Erbil. Thunderstorms also hit Ankawa, the predominantly Christian suburb of the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, where thousands of refugees who fled from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain due to the offensive of the jihadist militants of the Islamic State (IS) have found refuge. The weather forecast for the next few days says that the situation will worsen and citizen committees, in coordination with the Chaldean archdiocese together with humanitarian agencies involved in the rescue of refugees, have launched an appeal to the local authorities and the international community to help those in critical conditions. There are at least a thousand tents scattered in Ankawa.
The government in Baghdad has announced the launch of a project for the construction of thousands of prefabricated housing units intended for refugees, both in Erbil and in Dohuk (see Fides 14/10/2014). "But so far – says to Fides the Chaldean priest Paolo Thabit Mekko, who was also a refugee in Ankawa after escaping from Mosul – nothing has been done. The only concrete initiatives come from international organizations and especially from the Church, which is launching a program to rent homes and buy containers that can provide a less precarious shelter compared to tents".
Meanwhile, Bishop Nuncio Galantino, Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), together with the Director of Caritas Italy, Don Francesco Soddu has just concluded a visit among Iraqi refugees. Caritas Iraq, supported by Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Italy, has recently launched a new appeal for 2,422,914 Euros to assist 12,350 families displaced with new food kits and other basic necessities. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2014)
