Country stats

  • Capital: Baghdad
  • Population: 44.5 million
  • People internally-displaced: 1.14 million

Concern’s response

  • Iraq program launched: 2018
  • Program areas: Emergency Response, WASH

Why are we in Iraq?

Years of conflict have uprooted millions of people, eroded social cohesion, disrupted access to basic services, destroyed livelihoods, and led to increased protection risks. While the worst of the violence has receded, there is still much progress to be made towards recovery and development. In the meantime, millions of people across Iraq remain in need of humanitarian assistance.

Post-conflict doesn’t immediately equal post-crisis

Over 1.14 million people continued to be displaced in Iraq after years of conflict and hostilities, unable to return to their homes due to trauma and fear of persecution, damaged shelters, and a lack of opportunity to earn an income. Over 166,000 internally-displaced people are living in camps and an additional 100,000 are living in informal settlements with critical shelter conditions. These IDP communities face challenges to accessing essential protection and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.

Our programs in Iraq seek to meet these basic needs of displaced people in camps and informal settlements, prioritizing those most vulnerable such as children and women.

Latest achievements

  1. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)

    In 2023, Concern Iraq continued to improve both access to and quality of WASH services, reaching over 220,000 vulnerable people in northern Iraq.

  2. Child protection

    Concern helped over 9,600 internally-displaced children access protection services. We also worked with local communities to establish Child Protection committees in all IDP camps and settlements where we work.

  3. Cholera response

    In response to the cholera outbreak, Concern coordinated with relevant stakeholders for the smooth handover of sanitation services and in the development of key messages.

Hussein* (42) is a driver. There are eight in his family. "We live in terrible conditions in this site. We need fuel." (Photo: Kareem Botane/Concern Worldwide)People receive hygiene kits at Khanke IDP site in Duhok. The kits contain shampoo, soap, detergent, diapers, and pads for women. (Photo: George Henton/Concern Worldwide)Aziza (36) is from Sinjar Sinuneh. "We are a family of 5. I still haven’t opened the box yet. it is a hygiene kit that has shampoo, soap, and nappies. I don’t have any children that needs a nappy so I will give them to my neighbour. This is the only NGO that distributes the hygiene kit. We have been in the camps for 4 years, life is very hard in the camps, things get dirty quickly, the project inside the camp is making it even worse, so hygiene kits are crucial for us." (Photo: George Henton/Concern Worldwide) A Concern distribution at Bardarash site, Iraq. (Photo: Concern Worldwide) A Concern distribution at Bardarash site, Iraq. (Photo: Concern Worldwide) People receive hygiene kits at Khanke IDP site in Duhok. The kits contain shampoo, soap, detergent, nappies and pads for women. (Photo: George Henton/Concern Worldwide) People receive hygiene kits at Khanke IDP site in Duhok in Iraq. Photo: George Henton / Concern Worldwide. Markaz (40) from Sinjar Til Qasab. "I live here with my family; we are a family of 9, I have 7 children we all live in one tent which is very small. They inform us about aid distributions, and we go to receive them, I don’t believe they are very useful, I don’t know what is in this box. They don’t give us enough aid; my husband needs a surgery no NGO is helping us to treat him not even the camp administrations. Since the winter came, we haven’t had any oil for the heaters, my son doesn’t leave his bed in th Markaz (40) from Sinjar Til Qasab. "I live here with my family; we are a family of 9, I have 7 children we all live in one tent which is very small. They inform us about aid distributions, and we go to receive them, I don’t believe they are very useful, I don’t know what is in this box. They don’t give us enough aid; my husband needs a surgery no NGO is helping us to treat him not even the camp administrations. Since the winter came, we haven’t had any oil for the heaters, my son doesn’t leave his bed in the m
A Concern distribution at Bardarash site, Iraq. (Photo: Concern Worldwide)Markaz (40) from Sinjar Til Qasab. (Photo: George Henton/Concern Worldwide)People receive hygiene kits at Khanke IDP site in Duhok in Iraq. Photo: George Henton / Concern Worldwide.

Our work in Iraq

We are working hard to combat suffering and to build resilience in Iraq through programs designed to meet the needs of internally-displaced Iraqis and vulnerable host communities.

More Locations

  • Ramya* (29) stands in front of her tent, trying to secure its edges for fear of a storm that will cause rainwater to leak inside. (Photo: Ali Haj Suleiman/DEC/Fairpicture)

    Syria

  • Lebanon

    Concern launched a response in Lebanon following the influx of Syrian refugees and both their needs as well as those of the host communities.

  • Suliman and his family are refugees from Syria, who lost their home in Turkiye during the February earthquake. On this World Refugee Day, their resilience stands out as they make an effort towards creating a sense of home within their temporary shelter. (Photo: Concern Worldwide)

    Türkiye
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