Family given four months to return to Mosul

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – A couple from Mosul received permission from Islamic State (IS) to take their child kid to a hospital outside of IS-controlled areas, on the condition of returning within seven months.

The 26-year-old father, currently living in Baharka refugee camp in Erbil--who did not want to reveal his real name for security concerns--left Mosul with his wife to treat his four-month-old daughter, Zahra. The infant is seriously ill and in need of an operation. 

 After spending one month at a hospital in Mosul without receiving proper medical treatment, the father who prefers to be called "Abu Hadi," was finally was able to convince IS leadership to allow him to seek medical attention elsewhere. “As part of the agreement to permit us to leave [Mosul], IS took ownership of our property, and if we do not return within four months, my parents and in-laws will be killed,” Hadi told K24.

According to Hadi, after crossing various IS checkpoints in Mosul, the young couple traveled directly to Baghdad, but the medical treatment they received was sub-standard and they decided to seek assistance in Kurdistan Region.

Zahra’s mother told K24 that they are grateful for the help they have received in Kurdistan Region, but it is not nearly enough to deal with their baby’s serious medical conditions since the treatment requires an estimated $10,000.

Zahra’s mother calls upon generous people and international NGOs to help them treat their infant. “The doctors have given us hope that the baby can be cured, but we cannot afford the costs,” she told K24.

Reporting by Goran Shakhawan
Writing by Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Ava Homa and Benjamin Kewskin