Rise-W Mosul update, 26 April & 1...

RiseFoundation www.rise-foundation.orginfo@rise-foundation.org

+9647502419689

RiseFoundationisaregisteredNGO(registrationnumber792-2013)supportedbyOXFAM 1

UpdateonselectedWestMosulneighbourhoods,26April&1MayNewIDPcollectionpointThe junctionbetweenAlRisalah,AlAmilandMosulal Jadidah (36°19′46.17″N43°05′51.17″E)hasbecomeanewpick-uppointforIDPsfleeingfrontlineneighbourhoodstothenorth.ThereareMOMDcoachesparkedatthisjunctionwaitingtocollectIDPswalkingsouthdownthemainroadborderingthewesternedgeofAlAbarandMosul al Jadidah– reportedly themaindisplacement route in this area–and from thewestdown thesouthernedgeofAlRisalah.Essentially,this locationhastakentheplaceofBaghdadCircle,thepreviousIDPcollection point within ISOF-controlled territory. As was the case in Baghdad Circle, men and boys 14 andabovearetakenonseparatecoaches(orothertransport)toScorpionJunctionforCTSscreeningwhilewomenandchildren13andbelowaretakendirectlytoHamamalAlilscreeningsite.Weweretoldthatinformantsareused in this location (as in several others including Scorpion Junction) to identify ISIS suspects but that noformalscreeningtakesplacehere.Duringthetwooccasionson1Maythatwevisitedthisjunction,therewerenonewlyarrivedIDPsboardingthecoachesandnoCTSpersonnelpresent.BaghdadCircleisstilloperatingasakindofbusterminal.Totraveloutofthecity,peoplefromISOF-controlledareaswalk to the circle to take an ISF truck to Scorpion Junction or Hamam al Alil; from there they travelonwards independently. ISF trucks reportedly leave from both these locations to transport people back toBaghdad Circle, where there are porters with trolleys to help transport extra belongings back to people’shomes.TheCTSconductacursorysearchofallbagsaspeopleembarkanddisembarkthetrucks.

RiseFoundation www.rise-foundation.orginfo@rise-foundation.org

+9647502419689

RiseFoundationisaregisteredNGO(registrationnumber792-2013)supportedbyOXFAM 2

MOMDcoacheslineduponthestreetbetweenAlRisalahandAlAmil.Updateonwesternre-takenneighbourhoodsPopulationanddisplacementIntheareacomprisingAlRisalah,NablousandRajimalHadid,broadlyspeaking,thefurtherwestyougo,thelower the current population, the smaller the response, and the greater the damage to houses andinfrastructure.WhileAlRisalahisheavilypopulated,thepopulationofNablouswasestimatedataround40%andRajim alHadid at 20%. To the north, the population ofAl Yarmukwas estimated at under 20%andAlTanakataround10%.ISOFretookAlTanaklastweekafterprolonged,heavyfightingwhichcausedalmosttheentirepopulationtodisplace.SomeoftheseIDPsfledwesttowardsTellKaysumah,butthemajoritywentsouth,eitherstraighttoBaghdadCircle (when itwas still themain collectionpoint for IDPs)and from there toHamamalAlil, or torelatives in saferneighbourhoodsnearbysuchasNablous,AlRisalahandAlAmil.Of this lattergroup,mostreportedly stayed for a few days and have now continued their journey towards Hamam al Alil and, fromthere,ontoEastMosulorelsewhere.MortarsarelesscommoninAlYarmukandreportedlynolongerfallinAlRisalah,NablousandRajimalHadid,althoughAlTanakstillcarriessomerisk.Ingeneral,mortarfireisincreasinglyfocusedonfrontlineareasratherthananeighbourhoodback,ashaspreviouslybeenthecase.Duetotheimprovedsecuritysituation,therearesomereturnstoAlRisalah,NablousandRajimalHadid;however,anISOFsourceestimatedthatforeveryoneor two families that return to thisarea,around ten leave.This isbecausesupport isnot reaching themandthey have no money to buy it. A lack of food and water is currently the main reason for continueddisplacementfromretakenneighbourhoodsinthisarea.NeedsandresponseAmongtheneighbourhoodsmentionedabove,AlRisalahhassofarreceivedthegreatestsupport,mainlyduetogreatersecurity,closerproximitytothemainBaghdadroad,andtheestablishmentofa largePHCrunbyIHAOwhichnot only provides health care and limited food support, but has also encouraged the returnofmarkets.

RiseFoundation www.rise-foundation.orginfo@rise-foundation.org

+9647502419689

RiseFoundationisaregisteredNGO(registrationnumber792-2013)supportedbyOXFAM 3

Awell-stockedmarketonthestreetbetweenAlAmilandAlRisalah.Water:Watertruckingisconsistentlythetoppriorityinallretakenneighbourhoods,andIHAOstartedwatertruckinginAlRisalahlastweek.FivewatertankersfilluptwiceadayattheGhazlaniWaterprojectinAlWadial Jawsaq and pump water into the tanks on the roofs of houses, reportedly reaching each house in theneighbourhoodtwiceaweek.Whenthetanksaredamaged,residentsbringlargepotsandbasinstobefilled.IHAOhasplans toexpand theproject in thewider area inpartnershipwith an INGOusing large communaltanks placed on the streets. CAOFISR are also responding in this areawith cleanwater trucking, aswell assome privately owned commercial tankers, which reportedly pump dirty water from the Tigris. However,accordingtoresidents,areasofNablousandthewholeofRajimalHadidandAlYarmukhavenotyetreceivedanyassistance,evenfromISOF.Mostresidents,particularlyinAlYarmuk,drinkwaterfromwells,althoughinRajimalHadidthereisreportedlyasealedwatertankfromwhichsomeresidentsarestillabletocollectcleanwater.Food: Residents in all the neighbourhoods visited except Al Risalah complained that assistance had notreachedthem,evenfromISOF.ThisismostlikelybecausethemainISOFTSPisinAlRisalahandtheyhavelittlevisiblepresenceinRajimalHadid.However,IHAOareplanningtodistributeIRRsuppliedbyanINGOinRajimalHadidthisweek.ThePublicDistributionSystemhasreportedlynotstartedintheseneighbourhoods.Somefamilies rely on relatives bringing supplies to them from the camps – a difficult journeywhich can take anentireday.Otherssimply leavethecityandgoto thecampsbecausesuppliesareunavailable to themneartheirhomes.InAlYarmukweweretoldofpeoplesurvivingongrassandwatercollectedinexplosioncratersbeforemakingthedecisiontoleave.Livelihoods:Asameasureof foodsecurity, thepreponderanceofmarkets–particularly innearbyAlAmil–can be misleading; most families do not have money to spend and there are very few opportunities forgenerating an income.Markets themselves are often owned by several families combining their – possiblyborrowed–resources,andthelackoflocalpurchasingpowerisnaturallybadforbusiness.Portageisanothervisible means of earning money while vehicles remain a rare sight (most were either torched by ISIS orbulldozedasidebyIraqiforces,butthosethatownthemarefrustratedatnotbeingpermittedtousethemtotraveloutsidethecityforlivelihoodreasons),asisthecollectionandsaletodealersofcoppercablesfromthestreetsandoverheadpylons.Thesaleofbelongingsisalsocommon,andalthoughithasnotyetbeenreportedtousduringourresearch,circumstancesindicateahighriskofwomenbeingforcedintoprostitution.

RiseFoundation www.rise-foundation.orginfo@rise-foundation.org

+9647502419689

RiseFoundationisaregisteredNGO(registrationnumber792-2013)supportedbyOXFAM 4

Streetcleaning:Followingfoodandwater,streetcleaningwashighlightedasthepriorityneedinNablousandRajim al Hadid. Rubble still blocksmany of the streets,making some inaccessible. Rajim al Hadid has beenparticularlydamagedbyairstrikes,andsomeresidentsseemedresentfulofthis.WewereinformedthatEODteamshadsweptthroughtheneighbourhoodandsafelydetonatedremainingIEDsandremovedUXOs.

DestructionandblockedroadsinRajimalHadid.