OUR IRAQ PARTNERS
OUR WORK IN IRAQ
Embrace’s work with Christians in Iraq is a relatively new development, but one which is much needed. Decades of conflict in Iraq ultimately led to the creation of a power vacuum, lack of security, violence and the emergence of terrorist groups.
In 2014, armed groups of the Islamic State (IS) took control of swathes of land in the north and west of Iraq from the Iraqi central government, creating a humanitarian crisis classed as being at the most serious level. More than 400,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Mosul, the Nineveh Plain and Sinjar fled to the Kurdistan Region, where approximately 200,000 Syrians were already living under refugee status.
With two large groups of displaced people in Kurdistan, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with limited resources face a challenge when responding to the needs of both IDPs and returnees. Embrace’s work in Iraq is therefore primarily concerned with helping IDPs and returnees to re-establish livelihoods lost through conflict and to contribute to the economic development of marginalised communities.
Iraq is also one of the countries most affected by the climate crisis, with reduced rainfall and extreme temperatures. We are working with Christian partners to help communities understand and adapt to these challenges.
ANKAWA HUMANITARIAN COMMITTEE
Ankawa Humanitarian Committee (AHC) was founded in 2020 by Archbishop Bashar Warda to carry out the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil’s humanitarian and development work. The organisation builds on the formative experience of responding to the needs of 75,000 Christians who arrived from the Nineveh Plains in 2014, fleeing ISIS. However AHC has established a broader mandate, and seeks to address key issues facing both displaced and host communities in Iraq – including the increasing challenge of climate change.
CAPNI
Christian Aid Programme Nohadra Iraq (CAPNI) is a Christian organisation based in Dohuk. CAPNI focuses on health, livelihoods, education, protection, community services, advocacy, and preserving Eastern Christianity. CAPNI provides humanitarian assistance to IDPs and host communities, with a focus on minorities (Christians and Yazidis) and the most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in both Iraqi- and Kurdish-controlled regions of Northern Iraq.
THE CHALDEAN DIOCESE OF ERBIL
The Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil is the spiritual home to the largest community of Christians remaining in Iraq today. Through “anchor projects” such as Maryamana hospital, which Embrace started funding in 2020, and their Catholic University of Erbil, they seek to provide services for the community, run by the community and also present an opportunity to work with and serve people from other faith communities in Erbil and the surrounding area.
STORIES FROM OUR IRAQ PROJECTS
Arwa and her husband have faced unimaginable hardships since the earthquake in February 2023 damaged their home in Aleppo. They describe how the church has supported them - and share their hopes and fears for the future.