Sulamaniya

Again, I made it off the FOB. Yesterday I accompanied the UN down to Sulamaniya, a city southeast of Irbil. Roughly 2 hours by convoy, through farm country and sheep tending territory, and over mountain passes that reminded me of driving through Colorado, Sulamaniya gave me a slightly more 'western' feel than Irbil. I can't really describe why I felt that way; maybe it was the mcdonal (McDonalds) or the fact that I saw men and women walking together - in public.



The UNHCR went for some meetings and then to visit two refugee camps. The first, which was so awful, I can't even post pictures, housed 72 families; most are displaced Arabs from Baghdad. The second camp we visited is more established as the UNCHR had built houses and other infastructure. Iraninan Kurds, some of these families have been in Suly for almost 30 years and have nowhere to go. Kids, being kids, were happy to see new faces and smile and try out English phrases. And pose for pictures.