Save the Children warns that thousands more could arrive in Erbil in next 24 hours Thousands of families have arrived in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, having fled new attacks on Christian villages between Wednesday and Thursday night, according to Save the Children. The families, many of them with small children, are sheltering in youth centres, schools and churches in the city of Erbil. The children’s aid organisation is also warning that over the next 24 hours, humanitarian organisations will see thousands more families arriving, seeking sanctuary from Karakosh, Ba'akshiqa and other villages. Most people are arriving with almost nothing and need emergency supplies of food, water and shelter. Save the Children has built a safe space for children in…

With Mosul, areas of Salahuddin and Kirkuk out of Iraqi government control, the situation for civilians there and in Iraq as a whole is increasingly dangerous. Moment by moment, the media/news agencies are busy gathering news of what has happened and continues to happen in northern Iraq, and with each report, anxiety grows. The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative declares its great concern for the fate of civilians and displaced families in cities beyond the control of the central government. In this critical moment it calls on the Iraqi government and armed groups involved in the conflict in northern Iraq to adhere to international humanitarian law, specifically in providing protection to civilians and their property, as well as to aid…

“An exodus of Iraqis towards the northern Kurdistan Region continues unabated. Half a million children have now fled their homes - bringing the total figure to one million people, including their families. As the crisis spreads, families are seeking safety in parks, schools and mosques in one of the biggest displacements in recent history, fleeing empty-handed to surrounding districts. We now estimate the lives and well-being of 500,000 children, including those already displaced from Anbar province earlier this year, are increasingly at serious risk. Families are running out of money, forcing them out on the streets in stifling heat if they have no relatives or friends to support them. Save the Children is setting up safe spaces for children in…

Over 500,000 have fled the Mosul area of Iraq after a group of insurgents stormed the area and took control of the city. Half a million people are waiting at the border of Kurdistan for emergency relief and refugee status. From our offices in the heart of Mosul, Human Relief Foundation is distributing emergency food, water, bedding and shelter to those affected by the crisis. As the situation advances towards Baghdad, we expect this crisis to worsen and we need to be prepared. Human Relief Foundation is appealing for donations for emergency food and non food items, so that we can provide relief and assistance to the thousands of vulnerable people who need our help. We will turn your donation…

Around 500,000 people have fled their homes in Ninewa, amidst fighting in Iraq’s northern governorate. Islamic Relief is working to support vulnerable families. Fighting between government forces and armed groups erupted this week in Mosul city, Ninewa. The city is now reported to be controlled by armed fighters, with the violence already spilling out toward other cities. About 100 people are thought to have died, and hundreds of thousands have fled. Many are seeking safety in other parts of the city and surrounding areas, and others have headed to the Kurdistan region – which is under significant pressure from the influx of refugees fleeing conflict-torn Syria. In the coming days and weeks, both the death toll and the number of…

The Situation The crisis in Iraq is escalating quickly. Muslim Hands has launched an emergency appeal to provide help for thousands of people displaced by this week's fighting in the country. Hundreds of thousands are fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in fear of violence. Half a million refugees are seeking safety in areas already overflowing with those escaping the Syrian conflict. Thousands of displaced have nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Many have lost their homes, life-savings and livelihoods. Muslim Hands Response Muslim Hands has an Emergency Response team inside Iraq now - in Tikrit - distributing vital supplies of food and water to displaced families. The team are working tirelessly to mobilise and coordinate direct relief…