Facing threats in her home town, Nahida Wasmi Khalid had no choice but to cram into a small apartment with her 16-member family after authorities shut down a camp hosting internally displaced people.
"I can't go back because of security concerns," Ms Khalid, the wife of an ISIS militant, told The National over the phone from the northern city of Mosul.
“I can’t put my kids and the rest of my family in such risk.”
Last month, the Iraqi government began a campaign to close down camps erected for millions of internally displaced people (IDPs) since mid-2014 when ISIS swept through the country’s north and west.
Non-governmental organisations have criticised the move as hasty and warned that it could expose families to danger or pile on hardship amid the coronavirus pandemic and onset of winter.
More than 3.5 million people were displaced after the 2014 ISIS onslaught and the more than three years fight that followed, according to the International Organisation for Migration. That number has reduced to nearly 1.3 million now as the majority of them returned home after ISIS was driven out, according to IOM data.
The government has to offer accommodation for those who can't stay in their homes and can't rent properties
Ms Khalid was among those who chose to stay at Hamam Al Alil camp to the south of Mosul.
Her husband disappeared during the more than three-year fight to defeat ISIS.
Inside the camp, she had access to health services, food and education. To make ends meet, she worked as a volunteer inside the camp for 250,000 Iraqi dinar a month (about $200).
As news of relocating IDPs surfaced, residents of Qayyarah city to the east of Mosul, where Ms Khalid used to live, vowed to take revenge on returning ISIS families.
“There were threats on Facebook, warning us from returning to our home town,” said Ms Khalid who said her house has now been confiscated by the Sunni leader of a government-sanctioned militia.
“When they notified us, I asked the mayor that I just want my house back so that I can rent it in order to live in another safe area, but they refused,” she added.
As time was running short, she had to borrow money to rent a small floor in a house inside Mosul for her extended family for 125,000 Iraqi dinar ($100) per month.
“We have been here since Thursday, there’s no water and no more than five hours of electricity during the day,” the 38-year old mother of five said.
She is now hunting for any job to feed her family.
The latest drive by the government has faced criticism from the UN and NGOs.
In a briefing in Geneva on Friday, the spokesman of the UN High Commission for Refugees, Babar Baloch said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was ramping up support “in an effort to mitigate some of the [move] adverse effects,” of so many camps closing.
Mr Baloch painted a chaotic picture of the situation.
“Government information about camp closures and timelines have changed rapidly, creating uncertainty for many IDP families,” he said.
“Many have objected to leaving camps now over concerns about conditions and destruction, tensions and insecurity in the areas of return. Some IDPs say they were given only two-days’ notice to leave their shelters,” he added.
UNHCR has shared its concerns with the government, stressing that some of the closures have been conducted without adequate notice and consultation with IDP representatives and aid agencies working in the camps, he said.
But the government has defended the move.
"We gave them notice to leave and all of them left voluntarily; none was forced to leave," Deputy Minister of Migration and Displacement, Karim Al Nouri, told The National.
“We helped some of them to solve their problems in their areas in co-operation with the tribes, while those who can't return to their homes can move to another camp,” Mr Al Nouri added, saying the government plans to end the process by the end of this year.
One of the reasons for the closure, he continued, is to “prevent manipulating their votes in the coming national elections” suggested to be held in June next year.
In 2018 national elections, displaced people voted from their camps for candidates in their areas, but the vote was marred by allegations of fraud, prompting authorities to cancel some of the ballots.
Since late October, 15 camps have been closed in different areas, while seven others will be closed in the coming weeks, according to the Ministry’s spokesman, Ali Abbas.
Twenty-six other camps in the northern Kurdish region hosting mainly Yazidis will remain open, Mr Abbas added.
Many IDPs have returned to obliterated homes
About 90 per cent of Mohammed Al Essa’s house in Al Baaj town, located south west of Mosul, was demolished in the fight to chase out ISIS from the area, leaving only one room to use. He fled the town in 2015.
To accommodate his family, he is using a small mud house which belonged to a neighbour. The hut is in poor condition; rainwater poured into the property a few days ago, forcing him to bodge a repair using plastic sheets.
“I have no objection to leaving the camp, but the government has to offer accommodation for those who can’t stay in their homes and can’t rent properties,” Mr Al Essa said.
“We have no problem with the security situation here, but there are no adequate services … we have no health services, we have to buy drinkable water while we have no more than 12 hours of electricity a day,” the 31-year old father of seven added.
"For emergencies in case the mud house collapses, I brought with me a tent from the camp and erected it inside my demolished house," he added.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Wonka
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
HAJJAN
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.