31 October 2014
Arbat refugee camp
For the Syrian Kurds living in Arbat refugee camp, this winter is going to be different. Arbat has been home to many of them for over two years. But finally, the camp has moved to the more permanent base UNHCR has been working on for months. Despite the muddy tracks created from recent autumn thunderstorms, the cinder block buildings and lanes indicate this camp will be a permanent space for displaced Syrians. The old camp, located closer to the town of Arbat, is now a transit camp for internally displaced Iraqis. 
Many of the people in this new camp are taking the opportunity to personalize their spaces. A few of newly built structures had decorated fronts, and other small shops and stands have been set up across the camp.
The people here share the same space, but the geographical and ethnic divisions between them are mimicked in the camp set up, with different ethnic groups or towns clustering to different areas. Recent arrivals from Kobani, according to one Syrian refugee from Damascus, apparently complained of the state of the camp, and are attempting to stay within Sulaimani’s city limits instead.
With winter coming however, this camp is a marked step up from the tents of the transit camp, though the rivers of mud are likely to only get worse with the weather.
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