Ezidi24-Khalil Poko

Due to the outbreak of Corona virus (COVID19) , the difficult situations that IDPs are facing at camps in Kurdistan region /Northern Iraq got worse, since the announcement of the curfew in Kurdistan region, and their tragedy in facing the life of camps they have been suffering from since six years have increased, and working for a living cost is the biggest challenge amid the outbreak of the virus, closing work sources from markets and stores, and prohibiting movement between regions and governorates is a real problem facing the owners of stores and professions, who depend on daily wages and self-employment.

Poor capabilities in camps in the field of health and services, have forced Kurdistan region government to put the camps under a complete isolation and declare a comprehensive curfew in them, for fear of outbreak of corona( COVID-19), and precaution procedure to preventive it.

“Jassim Badal Khalaf,” the owner of a supermarket in Sharia camp, spoke to “Ezidi 24” and said, “Before Corona virus cries in the country, IDPs were living in difficult conditions. The poverty rate is high in the camps and unemployment is a major problem in the tents since the announcement of the comprehensive curfew and the closure of Roads, shops and income sources, the displaced people are living in an exceptional situation, weeks have passed and many families lack to basic needs due to the closure of their income sources”

We, as the owners of markets, are facing the most difficult challenge in how to deal with people, as they live in poverty and bankruptcy, and me in turn, I sold daily needs, and food for more than 15,000$ with debt, until the crisis ends and people return to their jobs and careers, but if this crisis persists with these strict instructions, poor families and people with limited incomes will face the most difficult challenge. ” “Khalaf” added

In Shariya camp, Dohuk governorate, more than 350 workers, free business and daily wages have been suspended due to the curfew and the closure of factories, markets and other businesses, and more than 2,000 displaced families have been living in the camp since the invasion of Shingal in 3rd August 2014 by ISIS.

Amina Elias Saadou works as a seamstress in the same camp, said “I used to work on sewing my clothes in the camp, and I had a good job , initially the work was small ,and customers rarely come, but with time passing I had a lot of customers and the work went better than before, I was earning approximately 25,000 dinars per day, yes this is not that much , but it was enough for the necessary needs. ”

Saadou added “ after the spreading of Corona virus and because of the curfew almost all the stores were closed, which caused a significant decline in the level of household income, and this situation caused a big damage to the owners of the shops, particularly those who do not have a governmental salary and are living on the money they earn from their stores, and if this crisis lasts , the harm will be greater on all people and more for the owners of the stores and the category that lives in poverty. ”

In 14/3/2020, the security authorities in Kurdistan Region of Iraq announced a curfew for cars and pedestrians and the closure of markets and shops, and later announced a comprehensive ban. The decision included all camps in the region after the outbreak of the epidemic in Iraq in general.

Not worthy that the Ministry of Health and Environment has announced the epidemiological situation of the virus in Iraq yesterday 22/4/2020 since its appearance, as the number of cases reached 1631, 83 deaths, and cases that have gained full recovery reached 1146.