OPINION: Iraq On the Precipice

Since Aug. 3, there has been a massive dislocation of some 200,000 people from Iraq, resulting in more than 1.2 million displaced. Credit: Mustafa Khayat/CC-BY-ND-2.0By Bill MillerNEW YORK, Sep 4 2014 (IPS)The catastrophic events in Iraq that are unfolding daily are more significant than at any point in recent memory.The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is now calling itself the Islamic State (IS), steamrolled out of Syria into Iraq and appeared to be unstoppable in its march to Baghdad. The Iraqi military, which was far larger and better armed, was either unable or unwilling to confront this ragtag, but determined, force of about 1,000 fighters.Simultaneously, the world was riveted on the minority Yazidi community that had to escape to Mount Sinjar to avoid certain annihilation.What made the situation even more dangerous was that Mount Sinjar is a rocky, barren hilltop about 67 miles long and six miles wide, protruding like a camel’s back with a daytime high temperature of 110 degrees, as Kieran Dwyer, communications chief for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, recently reported from Erbil.Dwyer also shared other staggering statistics:– Since Aug. 3, there has been a massive dislocation of 200,000 people, as armed groups have ramped up their violence, and there are more than 1.2 million displaced people.– The U.N. High Commission for Refugees is providing protection and assisting local authorities with shelter, including ...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Aid Armed Conflicts Democracy Development & Aid Europe Featured Food & Agriculture Gender Global Global Geopolitics Global Governance Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies Middle East & North Africa Migrati Source Type: news