A DAFI refugee scholarship contributes to physiotherapy and healing in Erbil
The physiotherapy centre run by Fawaz, a 25-year-old Syrian refugee in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is abuzz with patients waiting to be ushered in for their treatments. Working eight hours a day, six days a week, Fawaz and his Iraqi colleagues offer...
Finding community through adolescent clubs supported by UNHCR
Every week, 16-year-old Sana Burhan, an Iraqi national, travels from Barika, a rural town 30 minutes outside the city, to the heart of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to lead an Adolescent Club. Within the walls of an ordinary classroom, Sana creates a...
A Path Back to Hope: with support, refugee children overcome challenges to stay in school
As he walks to school each morning, Mahmoud recalls a different path his life could have taken. One where he worked in construction, rather than prioritizing his education. Now 16 years old, Mahmoud arrived to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq when he was a baby after his...
Five years of investment in civil documentation restores displaced and vulnerable Iraqis’ sense of belonging and hope for the future
Having a civil identity document – a birth certificate, national identity card or housing card – is the first step for any individual to be recognised as a citizen in their country. These documents serve as official proof of identity, enhancing access to public...
Legal aid helps refugee families overcome challenges in Iraq
For years, Faisal and his brothers watched as other children in their neighbourhood walked past their window laughing on their way to school. Each morning they would turn to their father with the same question about why they couldn’t join. Abu Faisal describes how he...
Refugee and local medical professionals transform healthcare in Duhok
Every morning, Dr. Amir drives the short distance from his home in Domiz town to the local primary health care clinic. A Syrian refugee and gynaecologist, he has lived in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) since fleeing his home in Syria in 2013. His days are fully...
Refugee gardener harvests small profit to grow plant business in Iraq
In the heart of Zakho, a small town within the mountains of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Silva’s garden bursts with life—vibrant greens and flowers, delicate herbs, and even exotic plants like Japanese oranges. To a passerby, it might be just an ordinary garden, but...
Iraqi Government registration drive ensures essential documentation and protection for asylum-seekers in Basra
Over a two-week period, around over 600 asylum-seekers received their government ID documents– cards given by the Permanent Committee for Political Refugee Affairs of the Ministry of Interior of Iraq, known as PC-MoI cards – during a mobile registration mission...
UNHCR’s DAFI scholarship paves the way for refugees to thrive in Iraq
For Aya, Nihad, and Taha, education is more than a personal endeavour – it’s a way to give back to their communities. As refugees in Iraq, they have all faced significant challenges to get to where they are today, but with the support of the DAFI Tertiary Scholarship...