“Mosul has been destroyed. The closer we got to its centre, the more destruction we witnessed. Heaps of ruins and garbage turned into a children’s playground”. With these words, the humanitarian workers of Caritas Czech Republic describe the situation in Iraq. On the basis of these experiences, Caritas has decided to establish an office in Mosul, to provide more effective help to local people who suffer. “During our last visit, we were able to help around three hundred families, but many more people remained with empty hands, despite the fact that they were only asking for a bottle of drinking water or a medical examination”, explains Helena Kotkova, coordinator of humanitarian aid with Caritas Czech Republic. The difficult situation of the inhabitants of Mosul is mainly due to conflicts between the members of the Islamic State and the soldiers of the Iraqi army who have been trying to force them out of the occupied territory to restore peace and normal life. “Most international organizations cannot get to the battlefield, we have succeeded thanks to our colleagues from our partner organization RNVDO. The local office of Caritas in Mosul has already been registered with the Iraqi authorities. “We hope to be able to increase support and to react faster to the immediate demands of the citizens of Mosul and the surrounding areas”.