Iraq
Country stats
- Capital: Baghdad
- Population: 46.04 million
- People internally-displaced: 1.0 million
Concern’s response
- Iraq program launched: 2018
- Program areas: Emergency Response, WASH
Why are we in Iraq?
Years of conflict in Iraq have uprooted millions of people, eroded social cohesion, disrupted access to basic services, destroyed livelihoods, and led to increased protection risks. The country’s northern region, where Concern works, has also hosted large numbers of displaced people due to conflict and instability.
Nearly 1 million Iraqis remain displaced
The UN reports that almost 5 million Iraqis have been able to return to their homes amid an improving security situation and economic recovery. However, the progress is still in a fragile state as the country navigates recovery amid regional conflict and instability.
Nearly 1 million people remain internally-displaced in the country, over 109,000 of whom are in camps in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq. The country also hosts over 300,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, 90% of whom are Syrians trying to navigate their own uncertain futures. Communities living in displacement continue to face barriers to essential protection services, public services, and livelihood opportunities.
Concern works with local partner VOP-Fam (Voice of Older People and Family) to provide case-management services for displaced children in Iraq, as part of VOP-Fam’s larger work to provide mental health and psychosocial support services and facilitate awareness-raising activities on child protection issues.
Latest achievements
Program impact
In 2025, Concern reached nearly 40,000 people (both directly and indirectly) in Iraq via our partnership with VOP-Fam.
Protection
Concern has established community centers to improve the wellbeing of women and children in Iraq’s Dohuk governorate (as well as in northeast Syria). Last year, these programs reached over 750 people.
Localization
We’ve provided targeted capacity-strengthening sessions for VOP in financial management, safeguarding, inclusive education, and monitoring systems to support mutual learning and our commitment to localization.
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.
