outside warwracked mosul iraqi families reunite
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

Outside war-wracked Mosul, Iraqi families reunite

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Outside war-wracked Mosul, Iraqi families reunite

Displaced Iraqis from Mosul arrive at the Hamam Al Alil camp
Hamam Al Alil - Arab Today

Surrounded by displaced Iraqis, Ahmad strides up and down a muddy stretch of land near Mosul, mobile phone in hand, desperately looking for his aunt and uncle.
Dressed in an elegant grey coat over his tracksuit, the 27-year-old is hoping to see his relatives for the first time in six months after they fled west Mosul, where Iraqi forces are battling ISIL fighters.
"I can’t describe how it feels to be seeing my family again, especially after everything reported in the media – the fighting, the hunger, the humiliation," says Ahmad, a daily labourer who lives in government-held east Mosul.
Iraqi forces launched the offensive to recapture the city on October 17, with the support of the US-led coalition that has been carrying out strikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria since 2014.
After seizing the city’s eastern districts in January, the Iraqi forces began the operation to retake west Mosul from the extremists on February 19, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee.
Families living of either side of the River Tigris, which divides the city in two, have been unable to see each other since its five bridges were destroyed in the fighting.
They made only rare phone calls to their loved ones, always at night and whispering to avoid being caught by the militants.
"We could ring them only once a week. They said they were fine. But turning on their phone was enough to put their lives in danger," Ahmad says, as he stands on the lookout, his black sandals and socks caked in mud.
"I can’t wait. We’re going to bring them home," says Ahmad, who has been waiting for his aunt and uncle for over two hours near the camp at Hamam Al Alil, some 15km from Mosul.
On several occasions, someone else searching for a family member comes up to Ahmad and asks to borrow his old mobile phone.
Around him, hundreds of civilians sit on the ground, their clothes coated in sludge, surrounded by their meagre belongings and children in clothes insufficient to keep out the rain and cold.
A truck pulls up to deliver food aid.
A crowd surges forward, a flurry of arms stretching skywards to try and catch a box thrown by one of the volunteers.
A soldier shoots his assault rifle in the air in a futile attempt to calm the crowd.
More than 180,000 people have fled west Mosul, the Iraqi government says.
About 111,000 have sought shelter in 17 nearby camps and reception centres, while many others have stayed with relatives.
Mohamed Badr Abed is in Hamam Al Alil to pick up his sister’s family and bring them back to his village around 30km from Mosul.
He went without news of his sister for what seemed an eternity, until a phone call earlier that day.
"She called me at 7am and asked me to come and get her," says the electricity company employee.
"I hadn’t heard her voice for six months. I had no idea what had become of them," he says, his face breaking into a huge smile.
"I was so happy. I couldn’t believe it," says the balding man in his 40s.
His sister is already en route to this village, but his brother-in-law and four nephews are still undergoing thorough security checks by Iraqi authorities.
The fear that ISIL fighters might sneak out among the civilians is ever-present.
Not far off, Abu Omar has fled west Mosul with his wife and five children, and is waiting for his son-in-law who lives in east Mosul with one of his daughters.
He has not seen them in a year.
"No other people have been through what we have," says the Iraqi man in his 50s, who sports a greying beard and speaks under a pseudonym.
"All this could inspire a TV soap opera, a film, a novel," he says, breaking off the interview as his son-in-law arrives.
They embrace briefly, solemnly, and immediately depart.

Source: The National

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

outside warwracked mosul iraqi families reunite outside warwracked mosul iraqi families reunite



GMT 09:45 2021 Friday ,21 May

test

GMT 12:12 2012 Sunday ,15 July

Sunita Williams goes on second trip to space

GMT 15:29 2011 Wednesday ,13 July

Director of National Museum of Iran dismissed

GMT 11:26 2017 Monday ,28 August

Bahrain congratulates Iraq on Tal Afar liberation

GMT 21:36 2017 Friday ,06 January

Kohli takes over India ODI, T20 captaincy

GMT 08:55 2017 Friday ,25 August

Haj medical team ready to serve pilgrims

GMT 07:13 2015 Tuesday ,28 April

Elvis's planes staying put at Graceland

GMT 07:51 2016 Thursday ,13 October

Pentagon: US strikes Huthi rebel targets in Yemen

GMT 12:58 2017 Monday ,25 December

More than 30 bodies found in burnt Philippine mall

GMT 23:33 2011 Monday ,19 September

Neymar quells rumours: He is staying put

GMT 21:31 2012 Wednesday ,18 July

Baseball: Texas 6 Oakland 1

GMT 11:19 2011 Thursday ,06 October

GCC ministers of culture kick off meeting

GMT 11:05 2011 Tuesday ,09 August

Minister of culture inaugurates al-markhiya

GMT 13:20 2018 Sunday ,09 September

Earthquake strikes south of Dhahran Al-Janoub City

GMT 11:58 2016 Friday ,16 September

Ballon d'Or deal between France Football and FIFA ends

GMT 01:09 2012 Tuesday ,10 July

Zambia women walk long way for maternal shelters

GMT 09:13 2011 Friday ,08 July

EU clears Rio Tinto\'s sale of leading talc

GMT 08:04 2011 Sunday ,03 July

Awards designed to encourage innovation

GMT 13:33 2011 Friday ,02 December

From hero to villain-Prince Boateng

GMT 13:06 2016 Friday ,21 October

India agrees to trial DRS for England Tests

GMT 09:18 2016 Wednesday ,05 October

China, Qatar seek 2018 World Cup boost

GMT 11:40 2014 Monday ,24 February

Renault to launch electric \'Twizy\' in Middle East

GMT 16:32 2011 Tuesday ,20 September

Horn migrants beaten, deported, imprisoned

GMT 08:32 2014 Thursday ,02 January

Big Bang star Cuoco marries tennis pro
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday