June 10, 2016 — The failure to quickly reunite men with their families after they undergo security screenings is adding to the suffering of Iraqis fleeing Fallujah and may discourage others from seeking safety, warns the International Rescue Committee. The IRC has also identified more than a dozen cases of children becoming separated from their families as they fled the city.
After escaping the fighting round Fallujah, all men and boys over the age of 14 are separated from the families and detained for security screening. Nearly a third (1,480 of 4,630) are still in detention, leaving their families very concerned for their safety and wellbeing, particularly whether they are receiving enough food and water or can access medicine.
Aleksander Milutinovic, Country Director for the IRC in Iraq, said: “Men and boys separated from their families must be reunited as soon as possible, not only to prevent additional suffering but also to ensure others are not discouraged from seeking safety. Even during security screenings, it is vital that anyone who has undergone the trauma of fleeing their homes is provided with adequate care.”
IRC monitoring teams have also identified 17 children who became separated from their families either as they escaped Fallujah or during the subsequent transportation to displacement camps south of the city. The IRC is referring the separated children to local authorities and is providing additional support to prevent further separations taking place during the transportation to displacement camps.
Around 50,000 civilians are still thought to be trapped inside the city of Fallujah, though around 25,000 people have fled conflict areas around the city since the fighting began. Families fleeing Fallujah have taken incredible risks to reach safety. Many have been shot at as they fled the city and this week nearly 3,000 people risked their lives crossing the Euphrates River, often on makeshift rafts. Other routes have forced people to cross minefields.
The IRC is supporting more than 600 people who fled eastern areas of Fallujah and are now at Al Ahel displacement camp, Abu Ghraib, near Baghdad. The IRC is ensuring the new arrivals have enough food, drinking water and clothing, as well as milk and diapers for 70 infants.
The IRC is also helping new arrivals at the camp recover lost identity documents and become registered as displaced as well as identify any individuals in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Earlier this week, the IRC ensured one ten-year-old boy badly burnt from a kerosene fire accident received treatment from a nearby hospital. In total 19 displaced people have been referred for medical treatment.
In addition, the IRC is seeking to support women and girls by ensuring they have privacy and access to separate bathrooms at the camp, as well as providing new clothing and female hygiene items.
On Thursday, the IRC also provided vital cash transfers of around $350 to nearly 150 families who in recent months fled fighting in Anbar to a northern suburb of Baghdad. The cash will allow families to help pay towards rent as well as buying food and other vital necessities.