BCF Deploys 10 Teams to Provide Emergency Assistance to Flood-Hit Erbil Neighborhoods

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) has deployed 10 field teams to provide emergency assistance in several flood-affected neighborhoods of Erbil, following instructions from Masrour Barzani, head of the foundation’s board of founders.

On Sunday, Musa Ahmad, president of the BCF, visited flood-hit areas in the capital, where he extended condolences to the families of those killed in the flash floods that struck the city the previous night.

He also expressed appreciation to the people of the Kurdistan Region, as well as organizations and companies, for their willingness to provide assistance from the outset of the disaster.

Ahmad said that, from the first hours of the flooding, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and chairman of the BCF's board of founders, had instructed the foundation to coordinate with government teams and mobilize all available resources to support affected residents.

He explained that, in coordination with the Erbil Governorate and the Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCCC), the foundation had established 10 teams to carry out relief operations in three main areas.

The first involves registering and assessing damage, with teams working alongside the JCCC to visit affected homes and document the extent of the destruction. The collected information will be submitted to the governor and relevant authorities.

The second focuses on providing hot meals to families whose homes have been flooded and household belongings damaged, as well as government personnel and volunteers working in affected neighborhoods.

The third involves clearing mud and debris from streets, alleyways, and residential properties in cooperation with municipal teams and private-sector companies that have made their machinery available.

Ahmad added that the foundation had also begun distributing essential emergency supplies, including blankets, mattresses, stoves, and food packages, to families affected by the flooding.

He assured residents that the BCF would continue its relief operations and provide assistance until their needs had been met.

Severe flash floods swept through Erbil on Saturday night following torrential rainfall that significantly exceeded initial meteorological forecasts.

Although authorities had initially forecast approximately 30 millimeters of rainfall, nearly 80 millimeters fell on the city, inundating streets and major roads and turning several thoroughfares into fast-flowing waterways.

Local authorities confirmed that two people had died in the flooding.

One victim was a five-year-old child who was swept away by floodwaters from a vehicle in which he was travelling with his father. While the father managed to escape, rescue teams recovered the child's body following an intensive search operation.

The second victim was a 25-year-old volunteer who lost his life while attempting to rescue people stranded by the floods. He had brought his own front-end loader to assist evacuation efforts but was swept away by the powerful currents.

The flooding caused extensive damage and disrupted daily life across Erbil, prompting rescue teams and relevant authorities to launch emergency response operations.