to the uk to start a new life away from their village, in iraqi kurdistan. his oldest daughter had wanted to study to become a doctor. translation: fathers | and mothers try to make their children better. i am a father, i love my kids. i want my children to have a good life. but the last time he heard from them was on tuesday as they were boarding a boat. he says he called hundreds of times with no answer. the next day, french authorities pulled 27 people from the water. and because of delays identifying the dead, rizgal does not know if his wife and children are among them. translation: i don t know if they are dead or alive. . i won t believe a thing until i see my children here or i find them in hospital. rizgal had even sold the family house to pay people smugglers for the journey. it is an expensive and illegal way to get to europe.
rizgal does not know if his wife and children are among them. translation: i don t know if they are dead or alive. . i won t believe a thing until i see my children here or i find them in hospital. rizgal had even sold the family house to pay people smugglers for the journey. it is an expensive and illegal way to get to europe. an estimated 40,000 people have left the region in the past year using the smugglers network. i am on my way to meet one such smuggler who was not involved with rizgal s family. they call them here in iraqi kurdistan region the middlemen . he agreed to talk to me on condition of anonymity. he is directing me to a place of his choice, insisting that my time with him should be quick and short. do you regret being in this business after seeing what happened at the english channel?
the bbc s murad shishani has the story of one man whose wife and three children are believed to have been on the boat. for those waiting for news, the uncertainty is almost as difficult as the grief. rizgal hussein s wife and three children wanted to come to the uk to start a new life away from their village, in iraqi kurdistan. his oldest daughter hadia had wanted to study to become a doctor. translation: fathers | and mothers try to make their children better. i am a father, i love my kids. i want my children to have a good life. but the last time he heard from them was on tuesday as they were boarding a boat. he says he called hundreds of times with no answer. the next day, french authorities pulled 27 people from the water. and because of delays identifying the dead,
rizgal looks at family photos of happier times as he waits for news. but after five days, he is beginning to lose hope. murad shishani, bbc news, northern iraq. let s get some of the day s other news. in honduras, the electoral council says preliminary results show the leftist candidate xiomara castro is ahead in presidential elections. she s bidding to become the country s first female president. but the governing national party said its representative nasry asfura was on course for victory, without producing any evidence. fiji is to send 50 peacekeepers to the solomon islands following three days of unrest. the violence began on wednesday when protestors stormed parliament in a bid to topple the prime minister. australia and papua new guinea
on travel bans. around 62% of voters in switzerland have backed their government s covid strategy, including a covid certificate showing proof of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test. switzerland is currently battling a surge in infections and the certificates are currently needed to access bars, restaurants, and football matches. four days after the bodies of people who drowned in the channel while trying to reach the uk were discovered, the identities of all 27 are yet to be confirmed. many are thought to be kurds from northern iraq and as the days go on without news, families there fear the worst. the bbc s murad shishani has the story of one man whose wife and three children are believed to have been on the boat. for those waiting for news, the uncertainty is almost as difficult as the grief. rizgal hussein s wife and three children wanted to come