"They
were sitting in the yard when the rocket hit our house," Diyar's
grandmother, Bahiya, told IR staff in Iraq . "We thought the house was
a safe haven.”
Since
the violence in Falluja began, air strikes on civilian buildings have
claimed hundreds of lives, destroying homes, schools and hospitals.
From Celebration to Sorrow
"We
were about to celebrate my child's marriage before our town was
invaded," explained Diyar's mother, Reem. “Our houses, cars and money
can all be reimbursed - but what can compensate for the loss of my
husband and child?" she asked.
Diyar
and the surviving members of his family left his ruined house and town
to spend one week in a village, before moving to Baghdad to stay with
relatives.
"We have not done anything wrong to deserve this," declared Shima, still in mourning for her husband.
Shelter in Baghdad
An
estimated 100,000 people are thought to have fled the violence in
Falluja. Many of them have taken refuge in Baghdad where generous
citizens have opened their homes to the refugees. One Baghdad resident,
Mr Odeh, is sheltering 34 women and children in his family home.
"They
are all relatives who fled our home town," Mr. Odeh said. "I am very
worried about feeding the 22 children living in my house."
Islamic
Relief has been helping Mr Odeh and the displaced Fallujans by
delivering emergency relief food to his home. "We heard about Islamic
Relief from our neighbours who received aid from them," he said.
Islamic Relief Response
IR
has two emergency response teams tackling the crisis in Iraq . One team
is dedicated to delivering aid to the displaced families sheltering in
Baghdad , while a second team is delivering relief to those still
inside Falluja.
"Everything
that we have done so far is like a drop in the ocean compared to the
level of need," remarked Ihsan, a member of IR's Falluja relief team.
"We are afraid there will be starvation in the ruined town in the
coming days," he warned.