The September 19 English online edition of the Baghdad Azzaman daily reported that the Iraqi Red Crescent Society has asked aid groups to provide urgent assistance to former residents of Tal Afar following the massive US military assault on the city, which is located 420 kilometres north of Baghdad. "We are in need of urgent relief to offer assistance to nearly 5000 families who have fled the city and sought asylum in nearby villages", an IRCS statement said. "Some of these families live in deserted villages or in makeshift camps where they do not have
access to basic essentials like food and water." Azzaman reported that the Red Crescent, the Iraqi affiliate of the International Red Cross Society, estimated that more than 90% of Tal Affar's 200,000 inhabitants had fled the city.
From Green Left Weekly, September 28, 2005.
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