INTERSOS’ INTERVENTION

In 2022, in coordination with local authorities and courts, we provided legal assistance to 25.519 refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities in the governorates of Ninewa, Salah Al Din and Erbil. 7.351 people were assisted to obtain civil documentation allowing access to health care, education and other essential services, including freedom of movement. Through its protection monitoring activities, INTERSOS was able to identify many cases of rights violations and intervene promptly by involving the authorities and other humanitarian actors.

Our staff – specialised in mental and psychosocial health – visited 5.797 patients during 2022, of whom 482 were placed in specialised pathways in line with their needs.

INTERSOS continued to support the national health system by offering technical support and training to staff in primary and secondary health facilities, providing economic support to vulnerable people to meet their health expenses and working with local communities to identify the most common health problems to be reported to health institutions.

To combat gender-based violence, we provided economic assistance and training courses on self-support, to accompany survivors of violence to emancipation and support their reintegration into society. As part of the integration policy, in the governorates of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, INTERSOS offered Kurdish language courses to Syrian refugee teachers and parents and intensive remedial school courses for minors.

INTERSOS facilitated access to education for 22.757 primary and 1.728 secondary school students by supporting the implementation of the National Refugee Children’s School Integration Policy, which allows refugee and asylum seeker children to enrol in public schools alongside boys and girls from the host community.

CONTEXT

After decades of multiple crises, Iraq continues to face severe economic instability and a volatile political situation. Prolonged violence over the years has forced millions to flee. Many have returned to their home areas and found destroyed infrastructures and extremely limited access to the labour market. Four million Iraqis have returned to their homes as of 2022, but there are more than one million internally displaced persons in need of humanitarian assistance.

The country hosts 250.000 Syrian refugees, mainly in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, with about a third living in refugee camps.

In recent years, IDP camps in Federal Iraq have been progressively closed by the authorities, further exposing displaced persons to multiple vulnerabilities.