The 3rd Iraqi Crisis – Visiting Northern Iraq in September 2014 – Kevin Riddell

During September I travelled to the Kurdish protected Zone of Northern Iraq, known as the

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) in response to the latest humanitarian emergency caused when ISIS

attacked minority communities in & around Mosul in the north east & central regions. This was my

1st visit back to the area in more than 7 yrs, and the 3rd war crisis & humanitarian emergency I had

participated in the country since my first visit to Nth Iraq in 1991. In total I have spent more than 16

yearrs on the ground responding & supporting humanitarian emergency programmes in this war

torn country.

On this trip I was travelling in as part of the TEAR Fund Team responding to this latest crisis that has

seen more than 1.8m Iraqis flee the brutal onslaught & violence inflicted by the Islamic militant

organisation ISIS. In Iraq they are simply referred to as ‘Da’ish’ – and they represent the latest form

of violent tyranny & brutal oppression that Iraqi’s have become familiar with since the days of

Saddam Hussain.

Despite the fact that over the past two decades I have witnessed civil war, sniper attacks & Saddam’s

own brutal attack on his own people during the 1990s. And witnessed the chaos & violence of

sectarian militia, the violent Islamic Jihad of Al Qeida and criminal gangs of Baghdad & Mosul

causing Iraq to descended into lawlessness & instability being commented by all sides in the name of

God, nationhood & even democracy following the 2003 invasion. To arrive again for a 3rd time and to

see once again Iraqi civilians become victims of war & violence in their own country was very sad &

disheartening for me.

The oppressors are a particularly brutal band of angry radical extremists – who happen to justify

their actions in the name of Allah & Sunnism. They could quite easily have been Saddam or Nazi

thugs because their actions are not too dissimilar- in fact their practise of sectarian violence, mass

executions by firing squad & burying people alive is not new. Their use of social media to evoke

shock & horror by publically beheading victims & uploading on the internet may be new but the

impact is the same – to create mass fear & trepidation. Their Blood lust has horrified everyone &

everyone is talking about them.

This time the Kurds are not the victims – in fact Kurdistan is booming economically. It is the only part

of Iraq where business is flourishing, oil is flowing consistently, modern hotels & shopping malls

stand tall, restaurants offering international cuisine are open and you can sit down to a freshly

brewed macchiato coffee. 20yrs ago Kurds were the victims today they are providing the only real

form of safety for fleeing families in this latest form evil in that country.

Over the years I have met many, Kurds from Iran, Kurds from Kirkuk, Shia from Basra, Christians from

Baghdad – even families of mixed marriage (Sunni married to Shia), all fleeing from certain death

into an unknown future! This third time round it is Yesidi & Christian from Ninevah & Sinjar province

in the north, Shia Arab from Tel Afar, and Sunni Arab from Samara I met on the streets, in makeshift

camp settlements & in abandoned buildings.

But for the victims of this latest attack upon innocent civilians it is only more misery & deeper

trauma! Like the victims in the 80’s & 90’s under Saddam – innocent men & woman, young & old

were tortured, traumatised & killed & their families left to weep over their dead. People were

displaced, Kurds forced out of Bagdad & Kirkuk, Christians out of Mosul. People displaced from their

homes & communities – forced to live in abandoned buildings, in makeshift refugee camps or in

sheep pens. All had fled with nothing but the clothes they were wearing and a future without

certainty & hope.

In my experience, no-body in Iraq has many happy childhood memories and everyone is a victim.

But my experience has also shown me there is hope. And I saw it this time through the work of one

of our partners who are providing emergency among displaced and refugee families. They have been

operating in Suleimania, Nth Iraq since 2000 – they started as two expat woman1, with $500 & a 2nd

hand vehicle & a desire to help the children of displaced Iraqis – working the streets, often abused &

outcast by locals. They opened their 1st drop in centre in the city market in 2001 and today more

than 4000 children are supported. The programme has gained the support of the Kurdish Ministry of

Labour & Social Affairs (MoLSA). In 2009 they were asked by UNICEF & MoLSA to develop a set of

guidelines & draft a law to promote foster care & juvenile justice.

They have become trusted by the community around them and have been specifically asked by

UNICEF & endorsed by MoLSA to head up all of the Child protection & Child support activities for the

refugees & displaced families in Suleimania. It was very humbling for me to see the sacrifice & work

of the two ladies & their team – who after 14 years remain passionate & positive & ready to step in

and continue to fight for the rights & protection of children no matter what their ethnic or religious

difference!

1 For security purposes – the names of the two ladies & their organisation are not mentioned