Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has helped thousands of Iraq’s internally-displaced people (IDPs) during the winter spell by distributing aid worth $69,300 (QR252,258).
Under its “Warm Winter 2015-2016” campagin, QRCS has partnered with the Alamal Almanshood organisation for relief and development to distribute 4,950 blankets to 1,650 families (about 10,000 people) in IDP camps across Al Anbar Governorate. These included Amiriyat Al Fallujah (3,750 blankets), Khalidiya (600 blankets), and Habbaniya (600 blankets).
Beneficiaries came from most vulnerable groups of IDPs - widows, orphans, and the destitute who fled violence from their home towns.
Some of the challenges faced by the team involved in the project include transporting blankets in stages, using new trucks in each stage, and incurring redoubled cost due to some security issues in hot zones.
However, QRCS personnel managed to deliver the aid to all the target beneficiaries who thanked their efforts in providing each family members protection against severe cold.
According to latest official statistics, the numbers of Iraqi IDPs have increased to 3mn, about 75% of them are women and children. Many of them have no source of income, live in substandard camps, and prone to chronic diseases due to very low temperatures.
QRCS also distributed $494,000 (QR1.8mn) winter aid such as blankets, warm clothes, and heating materials to 6,500 families (around 39,000 people) in several cities and IDP camps.
QRCS is now conducting other relief projects for Iraqi IDPs in Kurdistan. These include a water and sanitation project aimed at establishing a water storage and distribution system in Ashti Iraqi Refugee Camp, Sulaymaniyah, serving 1,312 families (7,900 people).