Daily Dispatch: Program in Bashiqa Begins. Needs Are Increasing.

Today we settled into our new base in Bashiqa. Photos below.

0600: A convoy from HQ in Soran drove in with additional supplies to get up and running and delivered new medical personnel who just arrived in the country.

1000: Finished cleaning out the old ISIS house which was full of dust and trash and numerous old puddles of blood. Water trucks arrive and makeshift plumbing and generator electrical system fully up and running.

1030: Within minutes of medical personnel arriving Peshmerga began filtering in for basic medical needs (colds, allergies, asthma, infections).

1100: Coordinated with various de-mining groups to provide emergency stabilization when/if needed while they sweep the city of mines and IED's. Continued ongoing dialogue with the UN and affiliate organizations about channeling aid for refugees through our corridor.

Our friend Chris Mitchell from CBN and his crew joined us and filmed throughout the day. The piece should air in the near future on CBN.

1430: FAI medical team headed out to the berm on the new frontlines where we met a new group of refugees coming out of Mosul (about 100 crossed over in the last 24 hours). Gathered information about crossings and assessed medical and material needs before the group was transported to an emergency camp this evening.

1730: Map out plan for daily schedule that would enable us to provide on Peshmerga medical care during appointed hours, ongoing refugee crossing surveillance as crossings happen, and the establishment of a 24/7 emergency help line.

Today's big needs are increase in operational funds and exponentially more material aid for refugees (food, water, blankets and basic hygiene kits and medical supplies). Numbers of self-diplacing refugees expected to intensify progressively. Peshmerga shelled outlying neighborhoods of Mosul periodically throughout the day as ISIS shelled civilians fleeing village around the city. Refugees relay fear of mortars and snipers on escape.

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