IRAQ / SYRIA FAMILIES

Kawrgosik refugee camp in Northern Iraq is home to 13,000 Syrian women, children and men living in some 2,000 tents. Everyone in the camp has a story, most are tragic. Suleiman Abbas Abdullah and his wife are among those who escaped from violence in Syria. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:03
• Production Date: 15 January 2014
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS
• Geographic Subject: IRAQ; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: U140115e

Description

STORY: IRAQ / SYRIA FAMILIES
TRT: 2:03
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGUE: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 13 JANUARY 2014, KAWRGOSIK REFUGEE CAMP, IRAQ

1. Various shots, Driver driving through Kawrgosik refugee camp, Erbil
2. Various shots, Syrian refugee Sulieman Abbas Abdullah entering his tent
3. Various shots, Suleiman’s wife making tea inside the tent
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suleiman Abbas Abdullah, Syrian Refugee:
“The situation was getting worst, I have two boys who are married, they can barely feed themselves, never mind us, we saw things getting worst, financially, no jobs, so we came here.”
5. Various shots, Suleiman lighting heater
6. Various shots, Suleiman’s wife pouring water to wash her hand
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suleiman Abbas Abdullah, Syrian Refugee:
“The thing we miss the most is our children, I cry every time I talk to them, two of them are in Turkey, one died, two in Syria and us here, it’s very difficult…we had to run away, we are safe now, life is not about money or anything else, it’s about living with dignity.”
8. Wide shot, Woman carrying child walking on muddy road in the camp
9. Various shots, Woman baking bread outside the tent

Storyline

Nearly 60,000 refugees crossed the border into Northern Iraq in August last year. Most of them have been housed in UNCHR tents across seven camps in the Kurdish region.

Kawrgosik refugee camp - located 30 kilometres west of Erbil city – is home to 13,000 Syrian women, children and men living in some 2,000 tents.

Everyone in the camp has a story, most are tragic.

Suleiman Abbas Abdullah and his wife are among those who escaped from violence in Syria.

They fled their home town of Qameshli after their daughter was killed by a bomb. She was breastfeeding her young child at the time.

Their granddaughter and four siblings survived, but they are now missing, along with the father.

The tragedy made Suleiman ill. He suffered a stroke which left him partially blind. They were struggling. Leaving Syria was their only option.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suleiman Abbas Abdullah, Syrian Refugee:
“The situation was getting worst. I have two boys who are married. They could barely feed themselves, never mind us, we saw things getting worst, financially, no jobs, so we came here.”

Suleiman and his wife attempts to be reunited with their other children have so far failed.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suleiman Abbas Abdullah, Syrian Refugee:
“The thing we miss the most is our children, I cry every time I talk to them, two of them are in Turkey, one died, two in Syria and us here. It’s very difficult. We had to run away, we are safe now. Life is not about money or anything else. It’s about living with dignity.”

The camp is seeing a new influx of refugees. The border that was opened for Suleiman and his wife to cross was recently reopened for a few hours a day. It had been closed for months. More than 4,000 people have arrived in recent days fleeing the ongoing conflict in Syria. Each one of them with has a story and each one carries with their own sadness to bear.