Duhok's Sharya camp director ousted from post after massive fire

Kurdistan 10:02 AM - 2021-06-05

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According to a statement from the Duhok Journalism Office, the director of the Sharya group was fired from his post.

 

"At the request of the residents of the Sharya camp, the director of the camps was removed from the post," the Duhok governor's press office reported.

 

On Friday afternoon, a massive fire broke out in the Sharya camp for the Yazidi IDPs in Duhok governorate, the fire destroyed more than 400 tents. read more

 

PUK's Shingal (Sinjar)'s Center said in a statement that it was ready to help those affected by the fire of sharya camp and provide assistance to families.

 

The fire did not cause any casualties, however, it caused great material damage. One of the refugees in the camp lost 50,000 dollars and 100 million Iraqi dinars.

 

The man owns a grocery shop and said that no one was there to control the fire soon until the fire reached his tent and burned all of his earnings.

 

In a statement to PUKmedia the refugee who did not want to be named requested the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to compensate him for his loss and claims that this is the second time for him to go through such incident.

 

"In this incident, I lost 50 grand US dollars and 100 million Iraqi dinars and I ask the KRG to compensate me because I have not only lost just this money... I have lost another 13 million dinars in a similar incident while I was in another camp."

 

UNHCR in a statement on Friday expressed their sadness over the fire incident at Duhok province's Shariya camp that burnt 400 IDP tents, promising to provide assistance to the affected families and work with authorities to prevent such incidents from reoccurring in the future. read more

 

The Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement, Ivan Faeq Jabro, has directed to put all the cadres of the ministry's branch in Duhok governorate on alert in order to deliver all relief supplies, "noting that the management of all camps in the Kurdistan Region is affiliated with the regional government

 

"The voluntary return of the displaced to their areas is still our main demand after creating all the conditions of infrastructure and the reconstruction of their destroyed areas and homes, as well as the importance of emphasizing the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement and instructing the relevant ministries to take their role in restoring stability to the areas and villages of Sinjar," the minister said referring to Iraq's plan to close all IDP camps and last year's Sinjar agreement that was closed off between the KRG and the Iraqi government to govern the disputed Sinjar jointly.

 

The Presidency of the Kurdistan Parliament also issued a statement on Saturday expressing its deep sorrow over the fire that broke out in the Sharya camp.

 

"With great sadness and sorrow, we received the news of the fire that occurred in the Sharya camp for the Yazidi displaced, and we call for the speedy normalization of conditions in their areas so that the displaced can return in freedom and stability.

 

We in the presidency of the Kurdistan Parliament have directed the relevant committees to follow up on the needs of the camp residents affected by the fire, and the committees will coordinate with government agencies in order to compensate those affected to reduce their suffering.

 

The Yazidi Kurds have made great sacrifices and deserve a decent and peaceful life, and we call for intense efforts to end their suffering, and we call on the relevant authorities in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and international organizations to speed up providing the necessary aid to those affected."

 

Sharya camp was prepared in 2014 for the Yazidis who were displaced to Duhok after ISIS invaded the Shingal district.

 

The ISIS attacks n the Yazidis in Iraq that began on 3 August 2014 resulted in thousands being killed: the United Nations estimates that 5,000 Yazidi men died in the massacre. Yazidi men who refused to convert to Islam were executed and dumped in mass graves; many boys were forced to become child soldiers. An estimated 7,000 Yazidi women and girls, some as young as nine, were enslaved and forcibly transferred to locations in Iraq and eastern Syria. Held in sexual slavery, survivors reported being repeatedly sold, gifted, or passed around among ISIS fighters.

 

ISIS gained full control of one-third of Iraq till 2017 when Iraq announced regaining full control of the provinces of Nineveh, Anbar, and Saladin and parts of Kirkuk and Diyala. The terrorists lost their last stronghold in Syria in 2019.

 

 

 

PUKmedia