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TallTayyibahandNajma,6December
TallTayyibah
Having briefly visited Tall Tayyibah, a village under PMF (Hashd al Shaabi) control, on 25 November (seepreviousRise report),wereturnedon6December tocollectdetailed informationonthe localwaterproject
andtheextentof repairs thatareneeded,andtoassess theneedsofnearbyvillages in thearea,whichwewere unable to reach the last time. We also wanted to learn more about the PMF’s attitude towards
humanitarianaccessinareasundertheirauthority.
AccessAlthoughthereisoftenacongregationofFedPol,PMFandHashdAshaariattheQayyarahjunction,wheretheQayyarah road meets Highway 1, the FedPol checkpoint at the junction is loosely guarded and – in our
experience–itisnotusuallynecessarytostop.TheturningforTallTayyibahisabout13kmupHighway1,onthewestside.Approximately3kmfurtherupHighway1isaPMFcheckpoint,whichwewerepreviouslyunable
topass.Thewaterfacilityisonthewestoftheroad,justsouthofthecheckpoint.
TheentrancetoTallTayyibahisguardedbyaPMFcheckpoint.Wehadarrangedtoseethelocalsheikh,whometusthere,andafterashortwaitwewereescortedtothePMFheadquarters,ashadhappenedonourlast
visit.
PMFinTallTayyibahTheHarakatalNujabbaare thePMFmilitiabased inTallTayyibahwithcontrolof the localarea.Thegroup
emergedfromAsaibAhlal-Haqin2013andhasveryclosetieswithIran.
UponourarrivalinTallTayyibahthePMFweresuspiciousofusandourintentions–moreso,itseemed,thanon our previous visit – although they remained friendly and courteous. The commander, whomwe’dmet
before, was not there, but the deputy commander was present. Having sat down in an office in the PMFheadquarters,wewereaskedanumberofquestionsoverthecourseofaboutanhour,particularlywhether
we had any American staff or links with US organisations. The deputy commander told us that they wereconcernedaboutspyingandfearfulofUSairstrikes.
OurrequesttoseemoreofTallTayyibahandotherinhabitedvillagesintheareatoconductrapidassessments
onthehumanitariansituationwasdenied.Weweretoldthatforeignersarenotallowedinthisareaandthatwewouldneed signedand stamped lettersof approval from thePMF leadership inBaghdad tobegranted
futureaccess.Whenweaskedhowwecouldapplyforthispermissionwewerenotgivenaclearanswer.
Aswas emphasised on our last visit, the PMF stated that they are the only group giving any assistance tocivilians.Theirownfoodsuppliesarelimitedandtheyonlygivewhattheycanspare.Itwasdifficulttogeta
roundedviewoftheneeds inthevillageaswewerenotabletotalktoordinarycivilians.Wewerealsonotallowedtotalkwiththesheikhinprivate.However,wedidwitnesscivilianscomingtothePMFheadquarters–
whichwasalsotheirclinic–andbeinggivenmedicine.
The PMF stressed that theywant support for civilians butwere also open about their suspicion of foreignorganisations.ThedeputycommandersaidthathewouldpermitanothervisittoTallTayyibahonlyifitcame
withsuppliesfordistribution–eitherfood,medicinesorNFIs–orateamtobeginworkonrehabilitatingthewaterproject.Heunderstoodtheprobableconcernsofhumanitariansregardingthediversionofaid,andhe
insistedthatanydistributionwouldbecarriedout incoordinationwiththe localsheikhandthatallsupplies
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wouldgotothecivilians.HealsosaidthatanymedicineswouldbeunloadedinthelocalPHC(nowclosedduetoalackofmedicines),whichwouldthenbeopenedandstaffedbyanursewholivesinthevillage.
We said it would be important to conduct a rapid assessment of the other villages in the area before
distributions in these villages could take place – particularly security and access. The deputy commanderrepliedthatthiswouldbepermittedonlyifandwhenassistancearrivedinTallTayyibah.
Despitetheirsuspicion,weweretreatedpolitelybythePMFthroughoutourtimeinTallTayyibah.
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PopulationanddisplacementinTallTayyibahandsurroundingvillagesThe currentpopulationof Tall Tayyibah is 1,600 individuals according to the local sheikh, PMFandanother
civilianresident.Ofthisnumber,65familiesareIDPsfromAjiyaa,avillagearound12kmwestofTallTayyibah.TheywerebroughtbythePMFfromtheirvillagetoTallTayyibahaboutamonthagoastheirvillagewasonthe
frontlineandunsafe.Theyarenowstayingwiththehostcommunityorinemptyhouses.Wewereunabletotalk toanyof the IDPs.AjiyaaandTallTayyibahbothbelongto theHaddidi tribe,asdomostvillages in the
area.
AccordingtothelocalsheikhandPMFtheother inhabitedvillagesintheareaareAlSheikh,Mustantiq,AbuFishqah,AlBijwaniyahAlUlya,AlBijwaniyahAlSufra,andAlBishmanah.Theremaywellbeothers.Including
TallTayyibah,thetotalpopulationofthese7villagesisreportedly7,000individuals(thePMFrefusedtogiveusanyfurtherbreakdownofthisfigure,orwhattheneedswereinthe7villages).Weweretoldthat50IDP
familiesfromGhuzaylAlSufra,avillageroughly25kmnorth-westofAlBishmanah,werebroughtbythePMFtoAlBishmanahaboutaweekagofortheirsafety.Weweretoldthataround70%oftheinhabitantsofvillages
intheareafledtowardsMosulaheadofthePMFadvance.
PriorityneedsinTallTayyibahOur previous report touched on the priority needs in Tall Tayyibah (feel free to contact Rise if you did not
receiveacopy).Themainneedremainstherehabilitationofthewaterproject,followedbyfoodandmedicine.
Wemetwiththeengineerinchargeofthewaterprojectandhewasabletogiveusclear,detailedinformationregardingit.ThewaterprojectisapartofthelargerShuraWaterProjectwhichpumpsfromtheTigrisatthe
Mishrak pump station around 32 km east of Tall Tayyibah (following the pipeline). The water project
reportedly feeds 15 villages: Tubiyah, Nannah, Tall Wai, Nus Tall, Nizaza, Al Aithat∗, Tall Khutyah, Um Al
Mahahir,Shurtania∗,AlAinAlHarrow∗,TallAlSamn,TallTayyibah,AlBijwaniyahAlUliya,AlBishmanah,and
Qabr Ibn Naif. A lack of electricity is the main issue. Ideally, mains electricity would be restored with therehabilitationandfuellingoftheQayyarahGasTurbine,whichrequires36,000litres/hourtorunat80mw.In
this case only relatively basic repairs would be necessary to return the water project to full functionality.Failingthat,fourgeneratorsarerequiredfortheproject, includingonewitha6.6kvcapacityattheMishrak
pumpstation,whichapparentlyisnotavailable.Wecanprovidefurtherinformationonrequest.
Asmentionedabove,foodissuppliedchiefly,ifnotonly,bythePMF.Somepeoplehavebasicstockstheycansurviveon.Milkforbabieswashighlightedasamajorneed.Thereisreportedlyonesmallshopinthevillage.
TheshopkeeperispermittedtotraveltoQayyarahonceaweektopurchasegoods.However,therestofthepopulationisnotallowedtoleavethevillageunlessspecialpermissionisgrantedbythePMF.Itisthesamefor
othervillagesunderPMFcontrolinthearea.
Commonmedical conditions in the village reportedly include inflammation of the stomach, kidney stones,chestinfections,respiratoryproblems,andskindiseases.Thecoldweatherisamajorcauseforarecentuptick
in illnesses.AmalePMFmedic is theonlyactivemedicalworker in thevillageand thereforewomen sufferespecially. There havebeen two recent complicationswith pregnantwomen giving birth. Thewomenwere
takentoQayyarahfor treatmentandthenontoTikritas the issueswerereportedlybeyondthecapacityofQayyarahhospital.ThePMFwillallowfreedomofmovementandprovidehelpinemergencies.ThePMFmedic
reported that a number of residents require operations but the machinery and expertise are lacking inQayyarah.Asmentionedabove,thereisaPrivateHealthClinic(PHC)inthevillagebutitisclosedduetoalack
ofmedicines.Shouldmedicalsuppliesbedelivered,thePMFsaidtheywouldreopenthePHCandstaffitwitha civilian nurse who lives in the village. Regarding the cold, we were told that blankets and clothes were
neededforthepopulation.∗Villagenameandlocationtobeconfirmed.
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SuppliesatthePMFmedicalcentreinsidetheirheadquarters,wherecivilianscometobetreated.
RecommendationsAshighlightedinourlastreport,thePMFhavetakenalargeswatheoflandleadingwestfromHighway1to
beyondTelAfar.Verylittleisknownabouttheciviliansthatremaininthesevillagesandtheconditionstheyarelivingunder.TobeabletoreachciviliansinthesmallareasurroundingTallTayyibahandrespondtotheir
needs,NGOsmustfirstrespondinTallTayyibah.Fromthere,NGOscangainthetrustofthePMFandpossiblybegrantedfurtheraccesstovillagesunderPMFcontrol.
Asmentionedinthelastreport,differentPMFgroupshavedifferentattitudestowardsforeignersandthis is
likelytorelatedirectlytotheeaseofaccessforinternationalorganisations.Whendealingwithcertaingroups,it is not recommended to take staff from theUSA. Careful coordination between organisations considering
workingintheseareasisalsoessential.ThePMFneedtoseetheresultsandbenefitsofhumanitarianactionratherthanassessments,whichplayupontheirsuspicions.
WeareavailabletomeetbilaterallytodiscussfurtherimpressionsofthesituationinPMF-controlledareas.
Najma
Najma(35.5337543.06235)islocatedatthebaseofsomehillsontheeastsideofHighway1,approximately5kmnorthofQayyarahjunction.
AccessandpopulationThe village is accessed via a 4km dirt track, which diverts from the highway at a point 3km north of thejunction (35.5254343.04056), just southofa formerpetrol stationwhichnowfunctionsasaHashdAshaari
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base.Whenfollowingthetrack,arightforkshouldbetakenearlyon.ThetrackthenleadsonawindingcoursedirectlytoNajma,whichcanbeseenclearlyfromthemainroad.Thesurfaceofthetrackisrelativelysolidand
passable, despite recent rains. Later, the track turns into a (poorly)metalled road. It is recommended thatpermission togo to thevillagebe sought from theHashdAshaari eitherat theQayyarah junctionorat the
base.
ThetrackleadingtoNajmavillage.Najmareportedlyhadanoriginalpopulationofaround100families.InJulythefrontlinecametorestnearthe
villageandremainedthereforaround2months.ISISoriginallyfledthevillageaheadoftheISFadvance,butwhentheadvancestalledjusttothesouth,theyreportedlyreturnedtoNajmaanduseditasafrontlinebase.
AtthistimearoundhalfthecivilianpopulationfledtoAlTassah,avillagebeyondthenearbyhills,3kmtothenorth-east.WeweretoldthattheotherhalfweretakenforciblybyISIStoMosul,althoughit’ssuspectedthat
therewouldhavebeensomevoluntaryrelocationstoMosulaswell.The50families(possiblyanoverestimatebasedon thenumberofcivilianswesaw in thevillage) that fled toAlTassahreturnedvoluntarily toNajma
around20daysago.ThepopulationconsistschieflyoftheHaddiditribewithsomefromtheShammartribe.TherearenoIDPsamongthem.
DestructionandIEDsThere isheavydestructionthevillage.Somebuildingsweretargetedbyairstrikeswhileotherswereburned.Localsestimatedthedestructiontobeataround50%,althoughthisseemedtobeahighestimate.Numerous
familiesreturnedtofindtheirhomeburnedordestroyed–theynowlivewithneighboursorrelatives.ThereareIEDssituatedaroundNajma,inthehillstothenorth,andonsomealternativeroutesintothevillage
–onlythedirttrackfromHighway1shouldbeusedforaccess.TherewasarecentincidentinvolvinganIEDinwhichsomesheepwerekilledbuttherehavenotyetbeenanyhumancasualties.Setbackfromthetownat
thefootofahillisahistoricalOttomanpalacewhichapparentlyisbooby-trapped.
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Housesdestroyedbyairstrikes.
AnIEDbesideanalternativetrackleadingintothevillage.
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PriorityneedsThevillagerssaytheyhavemademultiplerequeststotheUN(genericforaidorganisations)forsupportsince
theyarrivedback in the village,buthavenot yet receivedanything. Livelihoodsarebasedprimarily aroundagriculture, and seedswere highlighted as a need. There are no boreholes in Najma and the village is not
serviced by awater project so, as before, people continue to use private trucking firms to accesswater. A10,000-litre tanker comes once aweek fromQayyarah costing 50,000 IQD,which is apparently an inflated
price.FoodisalsoboughtfromQayyarah,asaremedicines.Thevillageisconnectedtotheelectricalgridbutthepowerwascutwhenfightingstarted.Fewpeoplehavegeneratorsandfuel.Blanketsandcarpetswerealso
highlightedasneedsforthewinter.Thepriority,however,isfoodandcashassistance.
ScreeningThepopulationhavebeensecurityscreenedtwicebytheISF–thefirsttimeinAlTassahandthenagainupon
theirreturntoNajma.Theydidnotreportanyissuesregardingthescreeningprocess.
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