While global attention often focuses on newly emerging crises, many displacement situations receive far less attention despite lasting for years. Iraq is one such example.

Peacebuilding projects can have strong generative effects when being directed at the younger population, which holds the keys to the future of their communities

Baghdad, September 1, 2025 — On Monday, the Guest House of the Prime Minister’s Office hosted a high-level national conference on Iraq’s efforts to prevent the involvement of children in armed conflicts. The conference was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and brought together senior government officials, United Nations representatives, diplomatic missions, and civil society organizations. Mercy Hands attended the conference following an invit

Baghdad, 19 August 2025 – Mercy Hands held a high-level meeting with senior officials at the Ministry of Interior, alongside consultations with the Directorate for Combating Human Trafficking. The discussions were practical and focused on a shared priority: protecting children and strengthening community resilience. The meeting explored opportunities to develop child-friendly media tools and nationwide awareness campaigns on critical issues such as child marriage, violence ag

In March 2025, Mercy Hands invited government representatives and members of the local community to an exhibition of products made by women in shelters across Baghdad. It was a culmination of an eight month-long project which aimed to tackle violence against women and girls and support women in shelters in Iraq. Globally, violence against women and girls has surged in recent years, and Iraq is no exception: nearly 1 million women are at risk of some form of violence and arou

Sulaymaniyah, May 12–14, 2025 – Mercy Hands was invited to participate in a national workshop organized by SALAR International, through its partner IRFAD, to support the development of local women’s institutions in Iraq. The workshop focused on reviewing and discussing a guidance document that outlines the roles and responsibilities of these institutions at the governorate level. Mercy Hands was invited not only because of its long-standing work on women’s empowerment project

As part of its ongoing commitment to monitor the situation of returning Iraqi families from Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Mercy Hands for Humanitarian Aid continues to closely follow the transfer process of families to Jadaa Camp in Ninewa Governorate. The humanitarian situation there requires urgent and multi-dimensional intervention. This week, the Mercy Hands team in Ninewa met with the Director of the Department of Migration and Displacement in the governorate. The t

Before virtually embarking on a trip to deep South of Iraq, let me introduce myself: my name is Chiara Fumagalli and I am the Director of the Protection and Human Rights Department at Mercy Hands. Despite being in Iraq for more than one year, I had never visited the southern Governorates of Maysan and Muthanna, two of most geographically remote areas of the country. Chiara at the Corniche, the riverside walk in Basraـ The occasion was given to me and my team by UNICEF’s invit

In partnership with MADRE, a US-based women's NGO, Mercy Hands has just completed the implementation of a six-month project titled "Futures Without Violence: Enhancing Women's Peace and Security in Iraq". The project was launched on October 1, 2022, and was completed on March 31, 2023. The project primarily targeted four districts in Baghdad: Yosefeyah, Abu Ghraib, Karkh, and Resafah. Its aims were to improve gender balance and increase women's representation in post-conflict

Mercy Hands continues to support refugees in Iraq, nonstop since 2005. Throughout the years, and in partnership with IOM, UNHCR, and...

Mercy Hands alliance (Mercy Hands and the sister organizations: Mercy Hands Europe, 7th Sense Foundation for Media and Culture, and...

Tel Kaif is a town located in north of Iraq, 8 miles north east of Mosul. Most people left Tel Kaif after ISIS seized control of the town...

Author: Ahmed Pasha Nationality: Iraqi Duty station: Baghdad Job role: Project Manager My typical day at Mercy Hands A typical 8 hour...