Prague, March 16 (CTK) – The Caritas CR humanitarian organisation has established its first branch in Iraq aimed to provide urgent aid for the inhabitants of Mosul, from where IS militants have been gradually ousted by the Iraqi military, Caritas CR spokeswoman Anna Matyskova told CTK on Thursday.
“Last December and this January, Caritas CR successfully distributed 800 humanitarian aid packages in the narrow vicinity of the Mosul front line, in cooperation with the Polish organisation Polska Akcja Humanitarna and Iraq’s RNVDO. At present Caritas CR is establishing its own branch in Iraq,” Matyskova said.
The step will enable Caritas CR to extend its volume of aid and react to the locals’ needs more quickly, said Helena Kotkova, Caritas CR’s humanitarian aid coordinator.
The new branch has been registered as of March 1. At present, Caritas CR is seeking four aides to form a team together with Kotkova.
“We will continue providing urgent humanitarian aid in the form of food and sanitary packages in the area of Mosul. We will focus on the newly liberated area,” Matyskova said.
Since January, the Iraqi military has been in control of the eastern part of Mosul and the fights for the western part are underway.
According to Caritas CR’s information, the inhabitants tend to move to the liberated parts of the city, which, however, are devastated, lacking infrastructure, water sources and food.
The central neighbourhoods are full of ruins and wastes. About 40 percent of locals suffer from a shortage of drinking water. Moreover, the city is short of food and medical workers, an aide of Caritas CR said.
