By A. C. Robinson
Last Wednesday, a team of volunteers went to eastern Mosul to distribute aid to civilians who were liberated from ISIS in November. The initiative was organized by Team Humanity Denmark and local NGO Tammuz. Many parts of the liberated areas still show signs of being under siege by the militant group as well as military attempts to retake the city.
Team Humanity Denmark donated several tons of aid that recently reached Erbil in a container sent from Greece. The aid included items such as blankets, clothes, shoes, household wares, diapers, baby formula and non-perishable food items.
The donated items were initially stored in warehouses owned by Tammuz Organization for Social Development, a local NGO initially established in Erbil in 1997 whose main offices are now located in Baghdad, Iraq. Local and international volunteers came together to load the donated items onto a lorry and then transfer them to Mosul.
Firas Natheer, an Electrical Engineer at the University of Mosul said they are working around the clock to try and restore power throughout the city. Residents are currently using small generators in their homes for electricity.
For those families who have been unable to work and cannot afford a generator, they lack access to power. Water lines have also been damaged and residents rely on shared well water and bottled water, which many still cannot easily afford.
Members of the Iraqi military met the convoy of volunteers transferring the donations once entering into the outskirts of eastern Mosul and escorted them to the site of distribution. The army also assisted the team in the distribution as well as provided security for all members involved.
During the distribution, the sounds of clashes between ISIS and military forces working to retake the western part of the city just four to five kilometers away could easily be heard.
