Today, Iraqi Kurdistan is facing two crises -- the influx of both Syrian refugees and Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The Syrian crisis has become the worst humanitarian disaster of the early 21st century. More than 150,000 Syrians have died, 6.5 million are displaced within their home country, and nearly three million have fled to nearby countries. In Iraqi Kurdistan, where 215,000 Syrian refugees have settled, Action Against Hunger is focusing our operational response in several camps--Kawergosk, Qushtapa, Darashakran, Basirma and Gawilan--through various projects including ones focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as on mental health for at-risk members of the population like pregnant and nursing women and children under age five.
In Iraq, the recent fighting in several parts of the country's north has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and a sharp deterioration in the humanitarian situation. Since the beginning of June 2014, more than 700,000 people have fled. Movements of displaced populations are difficult to assess due to the rapidly changing situation on the ground, impacting the humanitarian response. Our teams continue emergency operations to meet the needs of the displaced. We are conducting food distributions and supplying IDPs with water in several locations, running latrine cleaning operations, and promoting hygiene to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases.