Dearest Loyal Blog Reader,
It is not the happiest of days in my part of the world. The days are rough and tough but what makes me smile is that our hearts are together and the spirit that connects us all is so strong that even these tough times won't break us.
 |
| Donations from members of the community. Picture- Internet |
Thousands and thousands of Kurds have escaped the killings in Syria, finding a refuge in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. This means thousands have to start their life from nothing, thousands have left families, friends, studies, work, houses and anything else they had. The world we have today disgusts me. But I can keep smiling and keep hoping... as Kurds we have learned too well that in this world life and freedom doesn't come easy.
 |
| Refugee Camp in Erbil. Kurds from Syria fled for their life |
Members of my community- old and young; women, men and children are all taking cars filled with things that would become very useful for those who have fled in fear of their lives. Everyone is talking about how they can help. Television channels have a live coverage of a major park in Erbil were donations are being collected (Shanadar park). People are doing everything they can to help. Earlier this evening I visited K. family who had heard little children don't have bottles to drink their milk from, nor do they have milk. Immediately, they had purchased boxes of milk for babies/ children as well as bottles and sent them to the park where the goods are being collected. This is an example of just one family.
Yesterday, with a few of my colleagues we went to the new refugee camp in Erbil, Kawrugosk, with us we took some donations which were collected both individually and also by the UKH Charity group. We were told by a UNHCR staff member there that there were up to 15, 000 people in that camp alone. It was very different to the atmosphere in the Domiz camp, because there were many recent comers. Some didn't even have tents yet. It was a chaos, as soon as we went to the back of the camp, the things had to be thrown out at the crowd randomly, because people were just running and grabbing everything.
It didn't go the way we had in mind, the original plan was to go into each tent and see what was needed then look through what we had brought in and give it to the individual families. I am not sure how useful some of the things will be. For example, bags of rice... how is it going to be cooked by someone who doesn't have a stove yet? Or they don't have a pot to cook it in? Although basinal necessities like mattresses, blankets, carpets, t-shirts, shorts, fans (some areas had electricity, others didn't) should come in handy.
 |
| UNHCR tents at Kawrugosk refugee camp - Erbil, Kurdistan |
I observed from a distance as the Peshmerga took control of the situation. There were countless number of children... what about school? How healthy are they here? How long will they need to be here? So many questions running through my mind.
 |
| Life as a refugee... Kurds from Syria in Kurdistan Region of Iraq |
I speak to many of my relatives, friends and colleagues about the situation and the conditions. It seems like everyone wants to help in their own way, because somehow every single Kurd that I see has experienced this situation someway or another. If they haven't then their family members have. On a personal level, my family became refugees in two different occasions, so we have come to know the pain a little too well. Maybe this is why I feel so connected to these people, maybe this is why we all feel obliged to help.
 |
| Reminds me when we were refugees |
I love this sentiment in Kurds who are eager and ready to help. I have come to realize it comes from empathy. As we were approaching the camp (Kawrugosk- I think that's the right spelling) I felt bad to even refer to these people as refugees.
 |
| We can only hope for the best |
Are these not my brothers and sisters? Are they not Kurds? How can you be a refugee among your own people in your own land. I once again get infuriated. Today at work, a colleague came in giving me an amount of money, "Give this to a family at the Camp," He said. "I know how they feel, we fled too." He didn't say anything more, but it was more than enough for me to know the stories behind those eyes. I spoke to a Christian friend who informed me they are liaising with churches in a suburb in Erbil called Ankawa (primarily a Christian community) who will launch a campaign for donations to be collected in the churches. I am so proud of our Christian brothers and sisters reaching out to the Muslims. This is how it should be, and this is how it will remain here.
 |
|
I studied politics and IR for a while and then specialized in diplomacy for my postgraduate degree, but it's not surprising I am not walking in a career pathway too close to practicing politics. Maybe I have come to believe terms like justice, peace, democracy and so many other 'contested' terms we endlessly discussed (we also agreed there was never a definite explanation or meaning to any of those) are all just words and vocabulary in text books. The real world is dirty, it is unjust. How can it not be when man is killing his own kind?
I promise to keep blogging on life in Erbil and some enjoyable things too- the things that you are used to reading on mandalawi.blogspot but there are somethings that can't be left unseen and unsaid... this was one of them.
Until next time
Khwa Hafeez
Other than the first picture, all photos for this blog were taken either by me (Yup! Getting used to the Samsung Galaxy S something) or Z.A. from UKH.
