Tammuz Organization issued its detailed report on the situation of Syrian refugees in the Qaim district
Tammuz Organization for Social Development observed the current situation of the Syrian refugees in Alqaim district through visits and noted the following:
1 – There are two Syrian camps for refuges under the supervision of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the second camp under the supervision of the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration.
2 – The number of refugees in the first camp are (2440) and the second camp are (3350) refugees.
3 – Number of refugees located outside the camp and residing with other families in Alqaim district are (475 families) which means (2375) refugees.
4 – The number of tents in first camp are (875) and in the second camp are (920) tent.
5 – The educational status of the refugees:
There is one school for males and another for females and the number of students are (682) students in the first camp first but because of some families returned to their home countries as well as due to the pupils negligence, the number of students decrease is still continuing to about (130) pupils, with (15) teachers.
A school has been opened in the second camp and started with (750) males and female pupils. Twenty-two teachers have been appointed to teach (12) classes on trailers with one trailer for the administration of the school. The sorting of males and females will start in the next few days, and under the supervision of UNICEF.
It is noted that there are a large number of school graduates from the scientific and literary branches who have been admitted at Syrian universities and wish to complete graduate studies but did not have the opportunity to complete their studies in spite of receiving several requests concerning the subject. Those students are suffering outside their country from difficulties and problems with regard to their admission in into Iraqi schools as they lack paperwork.
6 – The health situation:
There in one health center in the first campy. The health center has two doctors and physician who work in a part-time. There are also two associate doctors in the camp. In the second camp, there is only one associate doctor, with a shortage of medicines for chronic diseases, and the spread of some infectious diseases such as hepatitis and skin diseases.
7 – Food:
15 days ago, food became very bad because of not providing refugees with processed and cooked food. The authorities replaced food with dried food. The management of the camp distributed one carton on each tent contained (flour 9 KG + rice 2 kg + lentils 2 kg + Bean 2 kg + sugar 2 kg + pack of meat 2 + beans 2 + oil 2 liters + Martadela 2). This amount is distributed every (15) day and will be distributed with loaf per person everyday. This issue raised refugees resentment refugees and made them continue to demonstrate to call officials and convince them that this not an acceptable situation.
8 – Water: In general, it is not sterile and has many impurities.
9 – Hygiene tool: 50% of tool are not usable and requires maintenance.
10 – Electricity: There is an outage in the first camp for (4) hours per day or more. In the second camp, electricity’s outage lasts for (10) hours per day. The lighting in the camps is very disorganized and unsafe due to the presence of many electric wires and transformers.
11 – Psychological status: some refugees feel depressed because of unemployment for both sexes.
12 – Winter supplies: blankets ands stoves were distributed to each tent with a little shortage of winter clothes and lack of oil stove in each tent.
13 – Administrative Services: Despite the care that the management of the camps is exerting to boost the performance, there is still no clear mechanism or organization to facilitate things refugees ask for. Some administrative personnel are incompetent in performing their duties, in addition to the overlap of powers.
14 – Legal protection: There lawyers for both camps tracking issues for refugees legally. One lawyer for each camp is not enough to provide legal services as there are a huge amount of claims paternity of refugees from Iraqi assets and there is also great suffering from contracts and marriage, data deliveries problems in the camps. On its side, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a (certificate granting asylum seekers) for all refugees, whether inside or outside the camps.
15 – voluntary return: Because refugee’s feeling like in prison and because of the poor conditions in the camp, a number of refugees returned to Syria. The returnees are approximately (200) each week. Refugees are allowed to carry all their belongings and receives the approval to return in an easy process.
16 – Closure of the existing border: The border crossing is still closed generally against Syrian refugees and they are not allowed to enter the Syrian Iraqi territory unless they have an Iraqi origin. The requests were ceased earlier, as well as allowed in emergency situations of the sick and wounded people, but that the approval mechanism for refugee entry is complicated unlike the returning approval.
17 – The entry and exit of the camp: It is allowed to only those visiting their relatives for two days a week while not allowing refugees to leave the camp, except in the case of a court review based on an official letter from the court or in the case of an assignment refugee to the hospital by a specialist doctor. The supervision is by army individuals who decide the entry and exiting at the end.
18 – Violence against refugees: Refugee camps are not empty of some cases of violence by power the administration of the camp is running or by refusing to implement the requirements and needs of the refugee. Violence based on sex issues is really minor case in the camp.
19 – Accidents: Some accidents (burning tents once in a while due to electrical contact or oil burner, and some quarrels among the refugees themselves, and cases of electrocution at very low rates).
20 – Marriages, births and deaths: There are several cases of marriage and births but death rates are very few.
21 –Refugees’ needs
1 – Food, especially bread.
2 – Intermediate school for boys and girls.
3 – An integrated technically and administratively health center in the second camp.
4 – Setting up workshops to teach sewing and computer education for refugees.
5 – The majority of the refugees are owners of professions and trades who did not have jobs require leaving daily from the camp on bail by the owner of the workshop or factory or work for limited hours.
6 – A kindergarten.
22 – The international organizations working in the camps:
1 – Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees Affairs.
2 – UNICEF.
3 – Islamic Relief Organization.
4 – Organization for the International Rescue Committee.
5 – Save the Children organization.
6 – Ishu organization.
7 – Doctors Without Borders (RSF).
8 – Local organizations that provide assistance of food, clothing and other needs.
It is worth mentioning that our organization had studied the situation of Syrian refugee camps in Iraq after several visits during the period from August until February 2013. The organization inspected the conditions of refugees in camps Dohuk and distributed some aids to families to cheer up children in the camps on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in 2012. Also the organization set up the organization a festival for refugee children in Camp Dumez, and distributed some gifts for them such as food, clothing, blankets, and stoves. These basic necessities were distributed to hundreds of refugees under the harsh circumstances that refugees are facing currently. These circumstances range between psychological, environmental or social circumstances.
Media Department
Tammuz Organization for Social Development
23 February2013
