Highest Alarm State Iraq - Humanity House

Highest Alarm State Iraq

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Tineke Ceelen

Tineke Ceelen has been director of Stichting Vluchteling since 2003. She was educated as cultural anthropologist and has worked for various aid organizations, in emergency aid as well as in development aid. In her book, Hier en daar een crisis (Here and There A Crisis) written in 2009, she offers a look into the world of international development aid of which she discusses the use and need.

The United Nations (UN) has declared the highest state of alarm for the humanitarian emergency in Iraq. Driven away by IS (formerly ISIS), 1.2 million Iraqis have fled their homes this year, of which some 600.000 displaced persons have arrived in Northern Kurdistan. In August, the UN began a large scale aid operation.

The Netherlands is contributing to this large scale operation. A national defense transport airplane departed for the Northern Iraq city of Arbil where water, food and blankets were delivered to the UN. In addition to the Dutch government, the Dutch emergency aid sector is actively working in Northern Iraq. Such as Stichting Vluchteling (Dutch foundation for refugees). Director Tineke Ceelen after a five day trip to the area: “What’s happening there is upsetting and bewildering. It makes me very sad. The situation in Iraq will not be solved quickly. This will be long term.” For the moment, the refugee organization is focusing on the greatest needs of the displaced Iraqis. “Those needs are very great. Believe me, even a few Euros can make a difference.  For an 80-year-old refugee, it really makes a difference whether you sleep on cardboard or a mattress.”

Source: OneWorld.nl

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