Refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan seek solace in camp gardens amid coronavirus lockdown - al khaleej today
Life in Iraq’s largest refugee camp was already difficult, but restrictions imposed to stop the pandemic from reaching the camps have had a devastating impact on vulnerable communities living there.
“The economic effects of this pandemic will be felt for months, if not years to come,” says Jennie Spears from the Lemon Tree Trust, an NGO that supports gardening projects across seven camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
“We estimate that around 40 per cent of people in Domiz 1 have lost their jobs, with no clear idea of when things may return to normality or if those jobs will become available again.”
There have not been any confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Domiz 1, but fears of a rapid spread through refugee communities prompted authorities to impose strict lockdowns in early April, shuttering businesses and closing off the camps.
Many international NGOs temporarily stopped work and schools and mosques remain closed.
An initial ‘stay-in-shelter’ lockdown was lifted after 72 hours, but with cases rising in Kurdish cities, authorities have once again sealed off the camps and told people to stay inside.
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▻https://alkhaleejtoday.co/international/5006710/Refugees-in-Iraqi-Kurdistan-seek-solace-in-camp-gardens-amid-coronavi