Father in Mosul refugee camp dreams of sound sleep for son

For the little son of Abu Barack, a sound sleep is a luxury in the Hamam al-Alil refugee camp in the war-torn city of Mosul, Iraq.

The skinny boy, 7, is resting on his father's shoulder, with his eyes closed, brows wrinkled and eyelashes trembling.

"My son has failed to fall asleep for several days. He is terrified by the war," Barack said.x Hamam al-Alil camp, located 15 km south of Mosul, is where the civilians from the embattled city have been relocated.

According to a camp official, more than 35,000 people have lived here at one time. At present, it's home to about 10,000 displaced Iraqis.

As the fighting between the Iraqi forces and Islamic State (IS) militants intensifies in west Mosul, the last major IS urban bastion in the country, more civilians are fleeing their homes and settling down here.

The quiet life of Mosul's residents was disrupted in the summer of 2014, when Iraq's second-largest city fell into the hands of IS terrorists overnight.

Since then, the residents have been living under the rule of the IS, who have committed a series of atrocities, including body torture, ethnic cleansing and the spread of extreme ideas.

"IS militants killed many people, for simply no reason," said Mohamad Arvold, a 15-year-old, who lived in western Mosul.

He told reporters that those who attempt to flee will have their hands cut off or even be beheaded if they are captured.

To escape from the IS's cruelties, Barack's family had to flee to their relatives' home, where they lived in a narrow place under the stairs.

"The sound of explosions never stopped. It scared my son so much that he couldn't fall asleep. So I had to clutch him in my arms, hoping to make him feel safer," Barack said.

So the man decided to move again, to a safer place. It took four days for his family to flee from IS-controlled west Mosul to Hamam al-Alil camp. To avoid being tracked down by IS militants, they had to choose a longer and harder trek via hidden paths instead of walking on city roads.

Though they finally reached the camp set up by the Iraqi government, which is relatively safe, Barack's son still has a hard time falling asleep. His father said the boy seems to be suffering from post-war trauma.

"It's hard for him to live like this," Barack said, looking worried, with his arms around his son's shoulders.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of an offensive to liberate western Mosul on Feb. 19 after declaring full control over eastern Mosul in late January.

As the government forces makes gains in the ongoing operations in western Mosul, the fight against the IS is also becoming more intense, causing grave civilian losses.

As a result, more people are trying to get away from the fierce battle to settle down in Hamam al-Alil, making the camp more crowded.

Worse, there has been continuous rain in the last several days, making the ground muddy and dirty. But for the newly-arrived Iraqi refugees, there are no tents to take shelter from the rain in the already crowded camp.

Instead, they have to sit or lie on the road and the camp staff are too busy to accommodate all of them.

"Is this kind of environment good for children to grow up? There are no toys here. My daughter can only play with stones on the ground," Um Atil, a newly arrived refugee, said sadly while looking at her young daughter.

"The bombs come down like raindrops in the war zone of Mosul. People there could be killed at any time. We have left all of our belongings behind and had a hard journey behind us before arriving here. I have no idea what the future will bring," Atil said despondently, looking at her shabby and empty tent.

"No food, no medicine," Atil said, comparing the refugees' plight to slow suicide. "Who can save us?"

Barack also feels helpless. He and his son have no tent to live in, so he went to the head of Hamam al-Alil town to seek help. But the official said there are no tents available now.

"So many refugees are arriving. There is a great shortage of tents. We don't know when Barack and his son can get a tent," the official said.

"I only want a tent, so my son can sleep safe and sound," Barack said.