Mosul/Geneva (ICRC) – More than 2,300 displaced families in northern Iraq received food and hygiene kits from the Iraqi Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross this month.

The emergency kits included hygiene items – including soap, shampoo, washing powder, dishwashing liquid, sanitary pads, toothpaste and brushes – and food, such as rice, pulses and cooking oil. The kits reached an estimated 11,500 people in Sinjar. Most of them have been displaced since 2014.

The ICRC and IRCS provided the support as part of efforts to support displaced families facing shortages after the winter months and also reduce the risk of exposure to communicable diseases.

“What we have seen in our work across the world is that people displaced by conflict are often particularly vulnerable to the impact of infectious diseases. In the case of an outbreak, such as the current coronavirus one, their specific needs should not be forgotten,” said Eve Charbonneau, health coordinator for ICRC’s Iraq delegation.

In general, settlements and displacement camps can be crowded and people’s movements restricted, with reduced access to sanitation and healthcare. Basic infection prevention procedures and control measures in camps can be challenging. In many places where the ICRC works clean water is a luxury, and soap may be non-existent.

Access to information for people displaced by conflict can also be difficult. In Iraq, the IRCS has been promoting awareness on the virus in some camps, as part of a nationwide information and awareness campaign on preventative measures the public can take.

In any country affected by the outbreak, the national and international health authorities lead the response. Within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the primary responder for increased preventative measures is the National Society, supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, with additional financial and technical support from the ICRC.

For further information, please contact:

Sahar Tawfeeq Sulaiman, ICRC Baghdad, Tel: +964 7901916927 l +9647702711274, sessa@icrc.org

Sarah Alzawqari, ICRC Beirut, Tel.: +961 3 13 83 53, salzawqari@icrc.org

Ruth Hetherington, ICRC Geneva, Tel.: +41 79 447 3726, rhetherington@icrc.org

Information for still photographs and footage

Location: Sinjar, Ninevah Governorate, Northern Iraq

Date: 05.03.2020

Photo Credit: Muyassar Mansour/International Committee of the Red Cross

Video Credit: International Committee of the Red Cross

Copyright: ICRC access all