Matt Willingham 
Ramadi, Fallujah, Tikrit… every time an Iraqi city falls to ISIS, the internet explodes in surprise.
The pundits are out en masse, fingers and political opinions fly in every direction. How do these cities keep falling? Can we do anything to stop it? In Western Iraq, all but one of the seven major cities is now under ISIS control.
The last man standing is the battered, besieged city of Haditha.
In the summer of 2014, local tribes formed the “Lions of Haditha” and went to war with the Islamic State. When ISIS demanded they submit, the responses were fierce:
“We fear no one and won’t bow to anyone but God. Neither ISIS nor others will intimidate us. We will fight them until the last drop of blood.”
And these were not empty words. After nearly a year of defending their city, many young men have died defending their families in Haditha.
They are totally surrounded by ISIS. They are cut off from supply lines. They are nearly out of food. They are an island in a sea of enemies.
But not for long.
Thanks to your relentless support, we are preparing to airdrop 11 tons of food to the city’s starving residents. Thank you for showing up and loving those the world has forgotten!
Continue supporting ISIS-afflicted families like these in Haditha by donating here.
Photo credit: Airwolfhound, Flickr Creative Commons.
