The annual Islamic celebration of Eid al-Adha is a time to celebrate with friends and family. This year, Eid al-Adha finds many Iraqis in hardship, after fleeing from ISIS-controlled territory, such as Mosul, to Iraqi Kurdistan.
No Money, No Feast
In the Harsham refugee camp, northwest of Erbil, there are 271 families who have not been able to buy a sheep for the Eid al-Adha feast, a common tradition during Eid. Ever since they fled Mosul, and the self-proclaimed Islamic State, these families have been without a stable income.
The 1,500 inhabitants of the Harsham refugee camp are a small number of the 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled ISIS and sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan region. Adding to the number of Iraqi IDPs are the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, who have also sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Thankful for Safety
Many IDPs are celebrating their second Eid in a refugee camp, but are thankful to be far from the Islamic State terrorists. Aid organizations in Iraqi Kurdistan are giving families meat for the Eid al-Adha feast, in addition to gifts of second-hand clothes.
Saad Ghanim, a soldier from Sinjar province says that life with 14 mouths to feed is “hard,” but considers himself lucky to have his little shop and the help of his only son.
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