Northern Iraq Relief
Emergency in Iraq
On October 17, 2016, an Iraqi-led coalition began a battle to liberate Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, from the Islamic militant group ISIS.
The city’s residents had been living in deteriorating conditions under ISIS rule for the past two years, some describing it as a “big prison.” But more than half a million children and their families are fleeing Mosul and the devastation that ocurred since October.
In fact, according to the citizen journalists’ group Sound and Picture, at one time, IS hung 20 heads at the Mosul city gate as ‘blood propaganda’ – a warning for soldiers or citizens not to enter to leave the city. All in Mosul and those who are fleeing, face danger and possibly death.
There was an estimated 1.5 million civilians living in the city. However, up to 340,000 of them have been displaced since October. Of those, about 72,000 have returned home.
ISIS has executed anyone caught with a cell phone. Thousands of people have been used as human shields in the city, making targeted strikes incredibly complicated. And the population has been told that they will fight to the death, even as they send their families across the desert toward Syria.
The people of Iraq urgently need your help!
We have partners on the ground to aid refugees and provide daily necessities and food.
“We pray for those caught in this devastating situation and will support them however we can,” says Bill Blaney, GAiN's Executive Director of Global Operations.
If you want to read more on the crisis, click here for Mosul, Iraq News Articles.
