Kurdish-New Zealand families say they fear for the lives and freedom of their relatives if Islamic State continues to grow and advances further in the Middle East, Radio New Zealand reports.
A number say they have cousins and uncles fighting the militant group on the frontline, but desperately need more international help if they are to protect strategic areas like the Syrian city of Kobane near the Turkish border.
Rez Ricardo arrived in New Zealand with her parents and siblings when she was six. But the 23-year-old's huge extended family are left behind, scattered along the Kurdish borders of Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq.
Ricardo said they have now been forced to take up arms, as part of the part-volunteer Peshmerga army, against Islamic State.
“A lot of them are very close to where there's fighting happening, so they're in close vicinity to really dangerous situations. I've got a lot of family (members) fighting in the Peshmerga, they're right on the frontline fighting against ISIS, so for us it's really critical.”
IS group bids to cuff off Kobane, Iraqi Kurds ready to join fight http://t.co/9NOH6LsaoB pic.twitter.com/91FQtPjBgy
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) October 25, 2014
She said her family struggles to cope and waits desperately for news.
“I won't hear for a while because they're busy fighting or they're in certain places but now and then we get calls to update us. Sometimes it's sad news like the number of people who have died within they're team, or how close they are to actual ISIS, so yeah, it's bad and good news sometimes.”
Ricardo was one of over 200 New Zealand-Kurds who marched in downtown Auckland at the weekend to show solidarity with family and friends fighting and falling victim to Islamic State.
