AINA News
Assyrian Man Begins Feeding Refugees in Ankawa, Iraq
By Cliff Kelaita
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Assyrian refugees in Ankawa.
(AINA) -- It is extremely hot here today. There were some care packages ready and I was literally passing them out an hour after I landed in Arbel. The soup kitchen in my new house should be operational soon. I will send pictures when it is ready. Work happens slowly here but I am pushing hard.

It is very safe here in Arbel but the streets are eerily empty and there are very few expatriates here. I am expecting that they will start coming back as more airlines resume flights into Arbel.

The refugees are living in tents, half finished buildings, warehouses, and empty homes.

There is a young nun who has been helping us give out the care bags in an organized manner. Because of the respect they have for her things remain calm. She is an amazing person.

The first place we went they told us they are being helped so they asked that we should go to another campsite to help others who are in more need. International aid seems to be trickling in, but it is woefully inadequate.

Almost all of the 70,000 refugees in Ankawa are Assyrians, but there are Yazidis as well, and we gave them care packages as we saw them.

I stumbled upon the main relief warehouse in Ankawa. I was not allowed to take pictures but managed to take this picture of one box of about fifteen. The warehouse was dismally small and virtually empty. Most of the boxes were food from WFP. I was told it is closing down as nothing has been delivered for the last couple of days. I hope that means there will be a bigger and better warehouse. Who knows? I think the French had a hand in delivering this, I was told. If so, thank you France and thank you Dubai (see label).

Taking pictures of the refugees is very hard, as these are proud people and some do not want their pictures taken as they ask for help, especially because they did not know who I am. As soon as I started telling them I am Assyrian and I wanted to show Assyrians outside Iraq what was happening things became a little easier.

Cliff Kelaita, left, preparing food packages.

Everywhere we go we hand out KitKat chocolates to the children and every single time they are hesitant to take it and look at there parents for approval. Because of the heat it tends to melt fairly quickly. As they lick the melted chocolate from there fingers a smile breaks out on there faces and for a brief moment they are just children again.

Assyrian refugees living in an unfinished building.

We only supplied part of the food today, the other part will be delivered tomorrow. The reason was the late delivery of the food from our supplier.

As I walk in the camp I see stagnant water near the tents.

Assyrian refugees at a camp in Ankawa, Iraq.

I talked to a young girl today who was studying at the university. She did part of her exams and then ISIS attacked. When will she go back? When will she finish her university education? Probably never, it seems.

Assyrian boy gets a drink of water, Ankawa, Iraq.

There are so many families living in schools here in Ankawa. The school year is about to start. Not only will the refugee children miss school but also the children of Ankawa, whose schools are now shelters.

So far, all the money for our relief efforts has come from me, my family and my friends. A little money goes a long way. We hope to keep this up as long as possible.

An elderly Assyrian woman sits on her bed in an unfinished building in Ankawa, Iraq.

Cliff Kelaita is an Assyrian businessman who has lived in Dubai for the past 20 years. He is originally from London. He owns several businesses, including a Chinese restaurant in Ankawa, Iraq.



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