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Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
Updates: January 30th, 2015
Conditions of Iraqi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) continue to be challenging given bureaucratic hurdles, problems with access to some conflict areas, and inefficiency in aid distribution. The World Food Programme (WFP) released a report detailing the difficult conditions of IDPs in southern Iraq.There are allegations that Iraqi Shi’a militias within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) killed 72 Iraqi Sunni civilians in Barwanah, a majority Sunni village in Diyala province, after the clearing of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) from Diyala province in northeastern Iraq. The events are disputed and a government investigation is underway. Diyala is a diverse province and has witnessed intense sectarian violence in the past.ISIS is reportedly indoctrinating primary school students in the western province of Anbar and forcing children to join its ranks as soldiers. Clashes between ISIS and anti-ISIS forces also continued in the province.Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi ordered the formation of a committee to develop a legal framework of the National Guards Law which is an important political and security issue for the Iraqi Sunnis. The Iraqi Parliament known as the Council of Representatives (CoR) approved the 2015 budget.Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga and ISIS continued to clash in northern Iraq including in Kirkuk and Ninewa. These clashes highlight the persistent threat of ISIS in the northern parts of the country.
Bureaucracy Delays Aid Distribution for IDPs in Iraqi Kurdistan
On January 25, Member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR) Khalid Al-Khatuni, from the Iraqi Sunni Iraqi Forces Alliances, highlighted the difficult living conditions of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) particularly in Iraqi Kurdistan. Al-Khatuni warned that “the repercussions of the IDP crisis are further exacerbated by the day and the humanitarian situation is becoming very difficult.” He called for improving the mechanism of distributing the monthly allowance to IDPs which is currently around 859.03 USD. Al-Khatuni also added that a special health card for IDPs should be distributed in order to allow them to receive health care and called for providing the IDPs with cash in lieu of their food rations which they are not receiving. Finally, Khatuni called for the need of “temporary decisions” to assist the IDPs and the need to revisit the requirement of presenting four documents in order to receive governmental assistance. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Displacement and Migration announced the number of IDP families nationwide that have received financial allowance. According to the Ministry, 465,311 families received the allowance with the majority of aid distributed to families in northern Iraq. The numbers are as follows: 265,010 families in northern Iraq including in Iraqi Kurdistan, 38, 291 families in Baghdad and Babil, and 10, 734 families in the southern provinces. On January 26, the Embassy of Japan informed the CoR’s Foreign Relations Committee that the government of Japan will donate 90 million USD to support Iraqi and Syrian IDPs in Iraq. This sum follows the previous donation of 27 million USD in 2014.
World Food Programme Releases Report on IDPs in southern Iraq as Babil opens Schools for IDPs
On January 26, The Education Directorate in Babil province in central Iraq announced the opening of 15 new schools in the province for displaced students and confirmed the enrollment of 5,223 students as of January 26. Four schools are located in the capital city of Hilla. The rest have been built according to the density of the IDP population in the province. On January 27, the World Food Programme (WFP) issued a report on the conditions of the Iraqi IDPs in the south-central provinces of Najaf, Karbala, and Babil. The report indicated that IDP conditions in these provinces have reached “critical levels.” The report notes that IDPs are suffering from difficult financial conditions and that they have resorted to taking shelter in schools, mosques, and unfinished construction buildings. IDPs also described to WFP the lack of education and employment in their new provinces.
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) Clear ISIS from Diyala Areas and Concerns Mount After Civilian Killings
On January 24, a combined force consisting of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) which include Iraqi Shi’a militias, and members of the Juburi tribe launched operations to clear the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) from the Muqdadiyah area in northeastern Diyala province. On January 24, Diyala Police Chief, Lieutenant General Jamil al-Shammari, stated that six villages were cleared. On January 25, Governor of Diyala province, Amer al-Majmai, instructed all civil service staff and managers in the province to begin preparations to deploy to Muqdadiyah in order to deliver basic services. Governor Majmai also called for all displaced families to return. On January 26, the Ministry of Defense announced that operations were launched to defuse cleared areas of ISIS-implanted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which were numbered at 400 IEDs. As the operations ended, reports emerged that over 70 Iraqi Sunni civilians were killed by unidentified gunmen in the Barawnah village in Muqdadiyah. General Abdul Amir al-Zaidi, who is the commander of the Tigris Operations Command and the ISF in Diyala denied that his forces had executed civilians in Barwanah. The Interior Ministry also made a statement, blaming the rumors on ISIS as “an attempt to undermine the reputation of ISF.” On January 28th, CoR members from Diyala province demanded an investigation into the death of the civilians. On the same day, the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights indicated that it received“tens” of complaints from civilians in Diyala in relations to alleged burning of house and civilian homes in Diyala by the ISF and PMUs. On January 28, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi launched an investigation into the events in Barwanah.
Anbar Security Developments and ISIS Forcibly Recruiting Child Soldiers
On January 25, Brigadier General Abdul Amir al-Khazraji, deputy commander of Iraq’s Special Forces known as the Golden Division in Anbar, announced that five ISIS members were killed in clashes in central Ramadi in western Iraq’s Anbar province. On January 25, the Ministry of Defense announced that 22 an ISF, Iraqi Sunni tribes operation was launched in the outskirts of Barwana and Albu Hayat village, near the town of Haditha western Anbar. The operation was supported by coalition airstrikes. On January 28th, a contingent of the Iraqi Shi’a militia, Kata’ib Hizbollah (KH), deployed to the Sajariya area east of the city of Ramadi. The KH force will reportedly take part in future operations to clear ISIS in Anbar. Local officials indicated that the force deployed at their request and that it is “welcome.” Finally, ISIS is reportedly imposing forced recruitment of men aged 10-15 years old in the town of Rutba in western Anbar. Security sources also indicate that ISIS is “[training] children” in Rawa, Ana, Qaim and Hit on various types of weapons and that ISIS has initiated its own educational program to promote its message among children.
Council of Ministers Recommends National Guards Law and Parliament Approves Budget
On January 27, the Council of Ministers (CoM) approved “in principle” the formation of the National Guards. The CoM decided to form a committee to draft a bill outlining the scope of the National Guard and it will be voted on in the next Council of Ministers session which is slated for February 3. On January 29, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s spokesperson, Rafid al-Juburi announced that the office of the Prime Minister is in the process of developing a national reconciliation conference. No date has been set for the conference. On January 29, the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR) approved the budget for 2015. The 2015 budget will be over $100 billion with a deficit of around $20 billion.
Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga and ISIS Clash in Northern Iraq
On January 24, the Ministry of Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces had retaken the Kisik Junction, west of Mosul from ISIS. The junction is a strategic area given its location on the crossroads between Mosul, Tal Afar and Sinjar and controlling it will constrain the ISIS line of supply and communication. On January 25, an anonymous source stated that Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces operating near Bashiqa, northwest of Mosul, repelled an attack by ISIS. On the same day, an anonymous Peshmerga source announced that ISIS militants launched an offensive near the villages of Tal al-Rim and Sultan Abdullah Heights in al-Gwer, south of Arbil. The attack was repelled by Peshmerga forces. On January 25, an anonymous source announced that anti-ISIS coalition airstrikes targeted 10 ISIS sites near Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk. On January 27, Peshmerga forces repelled and ISIS attack near Sinjar in western Ninewa province. On January 28, coalition airstrikes also targeted ISIS positions in Mosul and in Bashiqa, northwest of Mosul. On January 30, ISIS launched a major offensive against Peshmerga positions in Mullah Abdullah, Tal al-Ward, Maktab Khalid, and Maryam Beg in southwestern Kirkuk province. ISIS was able to take control of some of these positions. Peshmerga forces were reportedly able to retake some of these areas after receiving reinforcement and clearing ISIS. However, clashes are reported to be ongoing. In central Kirkuk city, an ISIS attacker used a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) to target the old police directorate as two other attackers attempted to enter the building but were killed by security forces. In conjunction with the attack, four ISIS suicide bombers barricaded themselves in a nearby abandoned hotel. The attackers were reportedly killed by security forces in ensuing clashes. In the aftermath of the attacks, the local Kirkuk government declared a curfew in the city until further notice.
Ahmed Ali is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Education for Peace in Iraq Center.
Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
By Ahmed Ali
Updates for June 12, 2015
- The U.S. is deploying an additional 450 military advisors to Iraq. This decision comes in the aftermath of the May 17 fall of Ramadi and this mission and the advisors will be based in eastern Anbar province. The deployment of these advisors will likely boost the confidence of Iraqi Sunni tribes who are fighting ISIS.
- Clashes continued in Anbar province as Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are pressuring ISIS in areas east of Fallujah particularly in the Garma area. ISF also conducted operations in the vicinity of Haditha and al-Baghdadi sub-districts and these operations are likely intended to pressure ISIS in western Anbar.
- In Salah ad-Din province in the north, clashes continued in Baiji, home to Iraq’s largest oil refinery, and there are ongoing operations in the Hamrin mountain areas between Salah ad-Din and Diyala provinces.
- Senior member of the Diyala Provincial Council, Karim al-Juburi denied that the UN has suspended its activities in the province. The denial comes in the aftermath of news that the UN suspended its activities in light of the kidnapping of the UN’s office chief in the province. Also in Diyala, a fire at an IDP camp in Khanaqin burned down 43 tents but caused no casualties.
450 New U.S. Military Advisors to Iraq Amid Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker’s Visit
On June 10, the White House announced that the United States government will deploy 450 extra U.S. military advisors to Iraq. The advisors will be based in al-Taqqadum air base in Habbaniyah in eastern Anbar province. These new advisors will provide training to Iraqi forces and Iraqi Sunni tribes. Additionally, the new advisors will work on engaging Iraqi Sunni tribes in Anbar province and will have the responsibility of assisting Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in retaking Anbar areas from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Also this week, the Speaker of Iraq’s Council of Representatives (CoR), Salim al-Juburi, visited Washington for high-level meetings with U.S. officials. Speaker Juburi raised the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) during his public appearances.
Eastern Anbar Major Effort for Anti-ISIS Forces
On June 7, the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) announced that security forces launched an attack on Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) hideouts in Garma area, east of Fallujah in Anbar province. Reportedly, the attack resulted in destroying three Vehicle-Borne Improvised Devices (VBIEDs). On the same day, the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) launched a joint military operation in al-Hamra and al-Maqila areas in northern Garma. On June 8, the Iraqi army and PMU launched a joint operation targeting ISIS in the Rashad area in the vicinity of Garma.
On June 9, anti-ISIS forces launched used rockets to target ISIS elements in Fallujah reportedly killing 22 ISIS militants. The Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate further stated that amongst those killed were four foreigners. Four ISIS vehicles were also destroyed. On the same day, the Iraqi army and the federal police averted a Suicide VEST attack by five suicide bombers in the al-Amiriyat al-Fallujah Municipal building, south of Fallujah. A source in the Anbar Operations Command confirmed that the five militants killed were wearing explosive vests. On the same day, the Iraqi Security Forces launched operations to disrupt ISIS presence in the Haditha and al-Baghdadi districts, western Anbar.
ISIS Focused on the Hamrin Mountains
On June 7, the Iraqi Security Forces and PMUs reportedly cleared ISIS from the municipal building in Baiji, north of Tikrit. However, ISIS was reportedly still in control of six neighborhoods in northern Baiji in addition to a sub-district. The operation included the participation of Iraqi army aviation. On June 9, a Federal Police (FP) force and the PMUs launched a joint operation targeting ISIS in the Hamrin mountains area, east of Tikrit. The FP commander, Raed Shakir Jawdat stated that ISIS was seeking to control an area in Hamrin mountain and that this operation was preemptive. On June 11, an FP force targeted ISIS again in the Hamrin mountains.
UN has not Suspended Activities in Diyala
On June 6, member of the Diyala provincial Council, Karim al-Juburi, denied that the United Nations has suspended its work and activities in Diyala. Juburi stated that the United Nations is currently working to build low-cost houses in the areas of Muqdadiyah and Sherwen. On June 9, a fire broke out in an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp that houses about 14,000 families in Khanaqin. The fire burned 43 tents in total; there were no casualties, but a number of IDPs were injured, and there was some material damage. Ghazi Ali Agha, the Manager of Khanaqin Migration, attributed the cause of the fire to the close distances between the tents. On June 10, the Minister of Construction, Tariq al-Kikhani, announced the allocation of over 100 billion dinars to for the rehabilitation of Diyala’s infrastructure given the clashes between the anti-ISIS forces and ISIS. Kikhani stated that 91 billion dinars will be allocated to rehabilitation and construction projects in the province and 10 billion dinars to the rehabilitation of roads and bridges projects.
Ahmed Ali is a Visiting Senior Fellow and the Director of the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor at the Education for Peace in Iraq Center. He would like to thank Abdul Bhat and Tarai Zemba for research support.
Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
Updates: February 6, 2015
- Iraq’s Council of Ministers approved two laws that are intended to address Iraqi Sunni grievances. These laws will now have to be approved by the parliament. The parliamentary debate will likely be tense and may be delayed due to disagreement over provisions in the law drafts among the different political groups. Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi lifted a 10-year nightly curfew in Baghdad. However, attacks dominated the city and its environs throughout the week.
- Kirkuk was under a serious threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). On January 30, ISIS attacked Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga positions around Kirkuk. However, the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga were able to repel the offensive and reclaim areas that ISIS briefly held during the offensive. This offensive was ISIS’s most serious push since June 2014 and it underlines ISIS’s intention to control or sabotage oil infrastructure in Kirkuk.
- In Samarra, ISIS and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) clashed throughout the week. Samarra is home to the al-Askari shrine which ISIS attacked in 2006, triggering Iraq’s 2006-2007 civil war. ISIS is seeking to force the repositioning of ISF resources by attacking Samarra.
- Violence and falling oil prices continue to have an impact on poverty levels in Iraq and service delivery in southern Iraq which is home for many Internally Displaced (IDP) families
- Reports also indicate that child labor is rising due to displacement and lack of sustained governmental support.
Iraq’s Council of Ministers Approve Two Laws and Prime Minister Abadi lifts Nightly Curfew in Baghdad as City Witnesses Sustained Explosions
On February 3, the Council of Minister approved a draft National Guard Law and approved a set of amendments intended to reform the Accountability and Justice Law, also known as the De-Ba’athification Law. The National Guard Law would create locally-based forces to provide security, empowering local political and tribal leaders to handle security for their own areas. Such a move is welcome among many Iraqi Sunni Arabs who blame the country’s army and national police for a pattern of discrimination and human rights violations in their communities. The proposed reforms to the De-Ba’athification Law are also intended to address Iraqi Sunni Arab grievances, however the amendments failed to gain the support of Sunni Ministers who claimed the reforms did not go far enough. Both draft laws require passage by Iraq’s parliament, the Council of Representatives, where deliberations are expected to be tense and protracted due to disagreement over provisions in the draft laws among the different political groups.
On January 30, two bombs exploded in Baghdad’s Bab al-Sharji market. The attack targeted a section that specializes in selling military clothes and resulted in the death of at least 44 people and injury of 70 people. On January 31, one member of the Iraqi Army was killed and three others were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded near their patrol in the Arab Jubur area south of Baghdad. An IED explosion also killed two civilians in the Madain area south of Baghdad. An IED exploded near a tea shop in the Amin area in eastern Baghdad killing two civilians and injuring ten others.
On February 2, an Adhesive Explosive Device (AED) attack killed a Federal Police (FP) major in the Sulaikh area north of Baghdad. The attack also resulted in the injury of the officer’s son and nephew. On February 2, an IED exploded in the Saydiyah area south of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding six others. On February 3rd, an IED exploded in the Khansa village of the Nahrwan area, east of Baghdad. The attack resulted in killing one person and wounding six others, including three women. Another IED attack in the Talibiyah area, east Baghdad resulted in the death of two people and injury of four. On February 4, a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) resulted in the death of three people and injury of ten others near a restaurant in Baghdad’s Karrada area. Subsequent reports indicated that it may have been three simultaneous IEDs exploded in the attack and that it was not a VBIED.
On February 4, four bodies were found in the Fahama area, north of Baghdad. The victims had been shot and there was evidence of torture. On February 5, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi issued an order to lift the nightly curfew in Baghdad that has in place since 2004. The lifting of the curfew comes as the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) released the casualty number for January. The report stated that 1375 people were killed by violence and that 790 of those killed were civilians. 1469 civilians 771 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) members were wounded. According to the UNAMI figures, Baghdad witnessed most of the casualties with 256 civilians killed and 758 injured.
Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga Repel Major ISIS Offensive in Kirkuk
On January 31, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga were able to clear the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) from the Mulla Abdullah village in southern Kirkuk. ISIS was able to take control the village on January 30 when it launched a major offensive. During the same offensive, ISIS also captured the Khabaz oilfield in western Kirkuk and subsequently detained 24 employees of the Kirkuk-based North Oil Company.
On February 1, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces regained control of Khabaz oilfield and freed the 24 employees. However, ISIS set fire to some of the oil wells before it was cleared. On February 2, Iraq’s Minister of Oil Adel Abd al-Mahdi visited Kirkuk and inspected the oil field. Between February 1 and February 3, coalition fighter jets launched airstrikes in support of the Peshmerga operations. On February 2, Kirkuk provincial council member Najat Hussein stated that reinforcements of the Popular Mobilization arrived in Kirkuk in coordination with Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces. The majority of the Popular Mobilization forces are located on the outskirts of the city.
On February 4, the Secretary General of the Peshmerga Ministry, Jabar Yawer stated that 999 Peshmerga members have been killed and another 4596 have been wounded in the fight against ISIS since early June 2014. Yawer also stated that the Ministry of Peshmerga is also investigating reported recent social media images of Peshmerga forces dragging ISIS members in the streets. Yawer added that a Peshmerga Ministry memorandum was distributed to all units ordering them to treat prisoners humanely.
Situation Escalates in Samarra
On January 30, two suicide bombers wearing Explosive Vests (SVET) targeted a gathering of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) in Samarra in northern Iraq’s Salah ad-Din province. On February 1, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) clashed with ISIS to clear the road stretching between Thar Thar Lake and Samarra, southwest of Samarra.
On February 2, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) discovered three armored ISIS VBIEDs in the Huwayesh area near Samarra. According to unnamed security sources, the VBIEDs were intended to target the al-Askari Shrine and the Samarra Dam. On February 2, 6 members of the Popular Mobilization forces were killed and another 28 were wounded when a truck VBIED exploded at a checkpoint south of Samarra. This attack was reportedly followed by an ISIS attack on the same location. On February 3, Iraqi Security Forces ISF launched operations to clear ISIS from areas, north of Samarra. On February 5, local security sources stated that ISIS moved chlorine canisters closer to Samarra. According to the source, ISIS likely intends to use them in attacks. On February 4, ISIS “kidnapped” 40 residents in the Sharqat area in northern Salah ad-Din Province. ISIS reportedly “accused” the 40 members of supporting and promoting the Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs).
Planning Ministry Report: Ongoing Violence Affecting Economy and Will Likely Raise Poverty Levels
On January 31, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning released a report on poverty levels in Iraq. According to senior Iraqi finance and economic officials, the ongoing violence between the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the Iraqi government has had adverse economic effects including in possibly rising poverty levels. This is mostly due to internal displacement within the country. According to Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs, Rozh Nouri Shawes, previous governments attempted to alleviate poverty in the country but were challenged by “terrorism and financial waste.”
Child Labor Increasing in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Sulaimaniyah
On February 1, al-Mada Newspaper reported on the rise of child labor in Sulaimaniyah city in Iraqi Kurdistan. According to the report, child labor includes native people of Sulaimaniyah and has increase recently with the arrival of Internally Displaced Persons. According to the report, a majority of the children work in the Sulaimaniyah market district where they sell bags, candy, and shoe-shining business. Local rights activist Saman Assad stated that “we observe significant spread in child labor in the region particularly after the [arrival] of thousands of Arab families to the region’s cities.” Mohammed Hama Salih, the head of the social affairs office in the province stated that there are not many solutions to child labor. But that according to Social Safety law, the government can offer a working child $120 and in return the child will have promise not to return work.
Karbala Health Services Suffering and IDP Housing Crisis in Babil
On February 2, the Karbala Health Department announced that in light of the current budget crises and the austere 2015 budget prediction, over thirty anonymous doctors have agreed to donate time, money, and personal supplies to support the city and its residents. Furthermore, these doctors will begin exploring the potential to do field treatments far from the city center, where many displaced families live in squalor. On February 4, Riyadh Aday, the Chairman of the Migration Committee in Babil province in south central implored the federal government to release the funds allocated for the construction of IDP housing near Babil’s capital of Hillah. The project is supposed to be built in the Wardiyah area, south of Hilla. Aday added that there are 11,000 registered IDP families and that some areas in Babil refuse to receive IDPs due to lack of housing.
Ahmed Ali is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Education for Peace in Iraq Center. He would like to thank EPIC interns Alec Lynde and Jonathan Fredrickson for their contributions to the research.
Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
By Alec Lynde and Jonathan Frederickson
Updates: March 6, 2015
- The Labaika Ya Rasool Allah offensive to retake Salah al-Din province continues. While joint forces have made progress in eastern areas of the province, they continue to face stiff resistance in and around the city of Tikrit, including an estimated 8,000 IEDs intended to block their advances.
- Contradictory statements made by officials in Turkey, the United States, and Iraq could be a signal of strained relations. The United States, and the International Coalition that it leads, have not been included in the Salah al-Din offensive, although Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) have played an overtly large role in this military operation. According to one report, there are over 23,000 members of the PMUs currently operating in Salah al-Din province.
- As Iraq continues to face budget shortfalls due to low oil prices, military operations are being ramped up in several areas of the country and populations continue to face displacement and a lack of funding for humanitarian aid. This has placed enormous stress on local and provincial governments who cannot support these displaced populations without funds from the central government.
Read the full report here: http://bit.ly/1HyjgZh
Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
By Alec Lynde and Jonathan Frederickson
Updates: February 27, 2015
- Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) destroyed cultural and historic artifacts in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. These actions have added to the loss of priceless cultural heritage since ISIS took control of the city of Mosul.
- Security problems continue in Diyala province amid a deepening humanitarian crisis, increased civilian kidnappings, and numerous assassination attempts against provincial officials.
- Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) that include Iraqi Shi’a militias, and anti-ISIS tribal forces launched a campaign to clear the city of Tikrit and Salah al-Din province in northern Iraq of ISIS. These operations are likely to lead to waves of population displacement that local authorities are preparing for them.
- ISF and anti-ISIS tribal forces continued operations in Anbar to clear ISIS in the sub-district of al-Baghdadi district in western Anbar following the arrival of reinforcements.
- Following the lifting of nightly curfews in Wasit, Muthana, Maysan, and Dhi Qar security forces increased their presence as preemptive security measures.
Read the full report here: http://bit.ly/18vOs0g
Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
By Alec Lynde and Jonathan Frederickson
Updates: March 20, 2015
- As Iraq’s joint security forces secure large areas of Salah al-Din province, the Labaika Ya Rasool Allah offensive comes to a near halt amid a particularly violent effort by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) militants to hold onto territory in central neighborhoods in Tikrit.
- Although joint security forces continue to make headway in several areas of Anbar province, the security situation remains uncertain and as a result the humanitarian situation continues to worsen.
- Ongoing operations by Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga and Turkmen Popular Mobilization Units (TPMUs) in Kirkuk are placing pressure on ISIS militants in the district of Hawija – the last significant ISIS stronghold in Kirkuk province – and in the neighboring district of Al-Shirqat – an ISIS stronghold in Salah al-Din province.
- Despite some efforts to protect civilians in conflict zones, new warnings and reports across Iraq raise serious humanitarian and human rights concerns, underscoring challenges faced by the Government of Iraq (GOI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in simultaneously waging war against ISIS while protecting and meeting the needs of affected populations.
- With spring fast approaching, reports indicate that the Mosul offensive will begin soon and that residents of Mosul are prepared to support joint security forces in clearing ISIS militants from the city.
Read the full report here: http://bit.ly/1MRo5Au
The current situation in Iraq is bleak. According to UNOCHA, 7.8 million people need access to essential health services. 4.1 million need access to water sanitation and hygiene, and 4.4 million require food assistance. 45% of these people are children. Many are unaware of the full extent of this crisis, and those that do will read the newspaper or listen to National Public Radio with a grave look on their faces, but then return to the everyday routine of their daily lives. Some may choose to get involved by donating to a charitable organization that has invested time and effort into providing aid to the many vulnerable Iraqis currently displaced by the violence of the Islamic State Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). An incredibly small percentage of people will risk their lives to actually travel to Iraq, roll up their own sleeves, and get involved in the situation themselves. Hala Al Saraff is one of those few people.
Iraqi herself, Hala is an impressive woman with a decorated career in international development. She is both the founder and director of Iraq Health Aid Organization (IHAO), which has been running for the last seven and a half years. IHAO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing projects that benefit Iraqis on the ground—IHAO currently works to deliver aid to those who have been displaced by the violent acts of ISIS. In past years, Hala worked for the World Health Organization (9 years), and was a Fulbright Scholar at the US Embassy in Iraq (2 years). She received her Masters Degree from Columbia University, and received her Masters in Public Health, Health Policy, and Management.
I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Hala at my first meeting as an EPIC intern. As I filed into the café behind Erik, EPIC’s founder and executive director, I took a seat beside him, and exchanged my commuter-friendly Birkenstock sandals for professional flats (one must wear comfortable shoes if ever walking with Erik, extraordinary speed walker). I set my notepad and pen on the table as I prepared myself to meet this humanitarian extraordinaire.
Hala is a delicate woman for someone whose actions and words are so powerful. She speaks with such passion, such dedication, that it is impossible to ignore. I found myself listening intently to her every word, leaning closer to ensure that I heard all she has to say. She speaks with the power of first-hand knowledge—from having travelled to Iraq herself, experiencing the dire situations displaced people are facing, and connecting with people on the ground. In fact, Hala herself has a home in Baghdad, where she lives with her husband when she is not in the U.S. As I listened to her stories—my head rested on my palm, clearly entranced—Hala painted a picture of current IDP camps in the heart of Baghdad: for a population of 800 people, there are only six available bathrooms, and, perhaps more astonishing, only three water coolers. Two to three families live in each tent, and 60% of the camp population is children. These statistics would be horrendous to the ears of anyone, yet the deeply pained look on Hala’s face expresses how much farther than the average person her concern goes.
Hala’s organization (IHAO) is taking active steps to alleviate the suffering. IHAO is collaborating with Soccer Salaam to provide humanitarian aid to camps like these that she describes. Soccer Salaam is dedicated to providing necessary humanitarian aid, including soccer balls, to Iraqi children and families escaping conflict—recognizing that play is a crucial part of childhood that should be accounted for as much as food and water. So far, Phase I of Soccer Salam has delivered 5 tons of soccer balls and emergency winter aid to more than one thousand displaced Iraqi families at multiple camps and locations across Baghdad. Now, Phase II is ready to be launched, in which Soccer Salaam will be purchasing tents, water and air coolers, and providing and installing water filters. In addition, Soccer Salam will be delivering “Peace Baskets” for Ramadan, which contains emergency food aid. IHAO has already begun implementation in Iraq, with Hala leading the way.
Hala is an inspiration to humanitarian workers everywhere–regardless of the cause or the place. She is clearly incredibly dedicated to her cause, and is determined to deliver impactful aid to those in need. I think that many can learn from the role model that Hala sets, although I do not believe it is necessary for all to travel into dangerous war zones to create change. But perhaps she is a reminder to us all that although the work may be tough, and we may have to roll up our sleeves, we can all do a bit more to get involved in working towards a more sustainable future.
If you would like to get involved with Soccer Salam, please join our mailing list, donate, or show your support by shooting a video of your best soccer skills.
Blog post by Tarai Zemba
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