IRAQ / WFP FOOD AID

The World Food Programme has started distributing food rations to Syrian refugees arriving inIraq. WFP responded quickly to the influx and distributed food to families in more than 1,000 tents at the transit camp of Kawargosk, near Erbil. (WFP)

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:58
• Production Date: 23 August 2013
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME - WFP
• Subject Topical: NUTRITION; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS
• Geographic Subject: IRAQ; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: U130823g

Description

STORY: IRAQ / WFP FOOD AID
TRT: 1.58
SOURCE: WFP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 21, 22 AUGUST 2013, KAWARGOSK CAMP, ERBIL, IRAQ

Shotlist

21 AUGUST 2013, KAWARGOSK CAMP, ERBIL, IRAQ

1. Various shots, camp

22 AUGUST 2013, KAWARGOSK CAMP, ERBIL, IRAQ

2. Various shots, refugees with belongings

21 AUGUST 2013, KAWARGOSK CAMP, ERBIL, IRAQ

3. Various shots, refugees receiving food rations
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amal, Refugee from Qamishly, Syria:
“We were shelled so we escaped and since we came everyone has been doing their best to help us.”

22 AUGUST 2013, KAWARGOSK CAMP, ERBIL, IRAQ

5. Med shot, family unpacking food ration
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abeer Etefa, WFP Spokesperson:
“WFP is providing food assistance to all the new arrivals to Kawargosk camp and plans to mobilize more food from around the region so that we can meet all the food needs of the refugees as they continue to cross this border from Syria to Iraq.”
7. Various shots, refugees in the camp

Storyline

The World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing food rations to Syrian refugees arriving in Iraq.

WFP responded quickly to the influx and distributed food to families in more than 1,000 tents at the transit camp of Kawargosk, near Erbil, set up by the Iraqi authorities. Distributions are on-going.

Each family gets a one month ration of wheat flour, rice, vegetable oil, lentils, salt, sugar and pasta.

Amal is a 25 year-old mother of 4, she arrived from Qamishly, Syria.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amal, Syrian Refugee:
“We were shelled so we escaped and since we came everyone has been doing their best to help us.”

Around 40,000 Syrians have streamed across the border into the Kurdistan region of Iraq over the last week since the authorities reopened the border. WFP is mobilizing food in the region to provide assistance for 185,000 people for a month.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abeer Etefa, WFP Spokesperson:
“WFP is providing food assistance to all the new arrivals to Kawargosk camp and plans to mobilize more food from around the region so that we can meet all the food needs of the refugees as they continue to cross this border from Syria to Iraq.”

The influx brought the total number of Syrian refugees in Iraq to over 192,000 (from around 155,000 prior to the influx) and is expected to continue, with reports that there are more than 100,000 internally displaced people on the Syrian side of the border.

Most of the new arrivals at Kawargosk are vulnerable women, children and the elderly. The camp now accommodates around 15,000 refugees.

WFP is mobilizing 37,000 family food rations – enough to feed 185,000 people for one month - from Mersin in Turkey for immediate dispatch to north Iraq.

To ensure the capacity to respond effectively and promptly to the influx, WFP is ramping up its staffing presence (programme and logistics) on the ground.