Care for Displaced Iraqis in Tikrit District

As the conflict continues in northwestern Iraq, thousands of Iraqis are taking shelter in relatively safer areas, including Tikrit district in the center of the country. The displaced population there relies on humanitarian assistance; they live in tents and unfinished buildings, sleep on the ground or on thin mattresses. The most common illnesses Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) sees among the population are respiratory tract infections, urinary infections, and skin diseases—direct results of their harsh living conditions. Nearly all of them have witnessed or experienced brutal violence, the trauma of displacement, and separation from loved ones. The living conditions in the camp and uncertainty about the future add to the stress, which is why mental health support is an important component of MSF’s activities in Tikrit.