As the fighting in Iraq continues, so does the number of innocent civilians fleeing the conflict. According to the United Nations, since June, some 300,000 Iraqi left Mosul and neighboring cities for the safety of Kurdistan.
Yehya is among them. He was forced to leave his home in Telafar with only the clothes on their backs. He took his wife and four children as soon as the bombs started falling on Mosul.
YEHYA
Displaced by violence
'It's a feeling I never experienced before. When I picked up my bag, things and ID ready to leave, I knew there would be no return. If there is, it would be with great difficulty.â?
His family is among 5,000 Iraqis taking refuge inside this warehouse outside Erbil. The UN is providing emergency aid to the families. But he doesn't know when they'll be able to leave for one of the cities that has agreed to house them.
YEHYA
Displaced by violence
'The feeling of being a refugee is very difficult, more difficult than illness or even death. We haven't been through anything like this before.â?
Yehya had the chance to leave Iraq back in 2006 and settle in the United States. He chose to stay, but his dream or rebuilding a new Iraq crumbled piece by piece.
YEHYA
Displaced by violence
'Conflicts happen in other countries but they get resolved, quickly, because people manage to reach a solution. Here we seem unable to agree.â?
A solution to the fighting still seems far off. In the meantime, thousands of Iraqi will continue fleeing a war that has escalated in the past few months.
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