One-man mission to help refugees

Ali Khaja has already donated $7,000 (BD2,640) of his own money during Ramadan to help those living in the Al Waleed refugee camp, which is populated by Palestinians, Kurds and people from the Ahwaz region of Iran.

The Iraqi government has asked the refugees to vacate the camp by September 17, prompting an appeal for help from the UN and other international bodies because they have nowhere to go.

Their plight has struck a chord with Mr Khaja, a former Aramco employee who was left bedridden by an accident 20 years ago in which his spine was damaged.

“I have been doing research on this camp for a long time and this is the first Ramadan I sent money to the refugees,” he told the GDN.

“I am grateful to Allah that he gave me the power to do so.

“These people are suffering in the desert. They have no food, water or other necessities of life.

“It’s been six years since they have been staying in these dilapidated camps and they haven’t got any aid or a ray of hope from any government.”

Mr Khaja said he sent money to help the refugees buy items such as cooking oil, ground beef, rice, flour, frozen chicken, soft drinks, juice, jam and cream, raisins and almonds.

However, because he is unable to launch a fundraising drive on his own without approval from authorities, he has approached the newly-formed National Unity Assembly (NUA) for help in collecting money on a much larger scale.

“We need some organisation or society to take up the responsibility to help these people, who comprise men, women and children,” said Mr Khaja.

“The Iraqi authorities are asking them to leave the camp and go back to wherever they belong, but they can’t go back to die.

“Of course, they have no documents or guarantees that they will be safe if they go back.

“The camp was basically set up by Palestinians who left their homes and belongings to live a safe and peaceful life.

“But they were later joined by Ahwazis from Iran and Kurds from Iraq.

“They are suffering because of bad weather conditions – in summer the temperature reaches 50C and in winter it’s so cold.

“Sandstorms are the biggest problem as they are living in a desert.

“They have no food, clean water to drink or any other facility.

“Even the nearest hospital is 200km away.

“They are all humans and need homes, school for children, hospitals for treatment, good food, clean water and other facilities.”

According to the UN, 208 Palestinians, 173 Kurds and 90 Ahwazi Iranians live in the Al Waleed refugee camp near Iraq’s border with Syria and the Al Tanf Crossing.

It was set up in 2006 by Palestinian refugees stranded at the border and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has two field staff stationed in the camp.

Since March 2006, a steady flow of Palestinians have left Baghdad and people arrive at the camp on a regular basis – most of them from low-income backgrounds.

Last year, the Iraqi Displacement and Migration Ministry called on all Palestinians at Al Waleed to return to their homes in Baghdad, promising them financial compensation, assistance and protection.

However, the ultimate goal of the camp’s residents is to get out of Iraq as soon as possible without getting hurt.

In 2008 and 2009, 375 people left for resettlement in Iceland, the UK, the US, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway.

“We have contacted international organisations, but there has not been any response from them,” Ahwazi refugee spokesman Amjad Taha told the GDN over the phone from the camp.

“We are the victims of political war in our countries and will face penalties if we go back.

“They are asking us to leave the camps and go back, otherwise they would tear down the tents.

“The UNHCR is only taking individual cases, but what about the others?

“Our men, women and children are suffering as they have no proper house, no school, no playground and no source of income.

“Life under a tent is really miserable and we have no rights.

“We want to start a new life and get all the answers to why we are ignored by human rights groups and Amnesty International.

“We don’t have enough tents and as winter is approaching, we need more blankets.”

Meanwhile, spokesman for Palestinian refugees at the camp Mahmood Moetiz told the GDN the UN must find a solution before it’s too late.

“Our people are dying because of sickness – where are the UN and human rights organisations?” he said over the phone from the camp.

“We are living a life of animals and no one cares.

“We can’t go back to die and we can’t live here without food.”

Kurdish spokesman Abu Ahmed, who lives in the camp, said they needed a quick solution for the future of their children.

He added that children, women and the elderly had died due to a lack of adequate healthcare.

The nearest hospital is four hours’ drive away along a dangerous route, while tents are overcrowded and many residents have chronic respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.

Tents fill with water when it rains, and temperatures can fall below freezing in the winter.

In the summer, temperatures above 50C have been recorded, while sandstorms, fires, snakes and scorpions all present dangers.

With no sewage system, wastewater runs openly through the camp, leading to a higher occurrence of diseases and infections among children who play between the tents.

However, Mr Khaja might have to look elsewhere for help since the NUA says it is already bogged down with trying to raise money for people affected by drought in Somalia, as well as those suffering in Palestine and Syria.

“It’s very difficult these days to go to Iraq or speak to anyone there due to the recent unrest in Bahrain,” a spokesman told the GDN.