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Sweets shop brings a taste of Syria to refugee camp in Iraq this Ramadan
Remas' sweets shop - and his typical Maarouk bread - brings a taste of Syria to Iraq's Kawergosk Refugee camp this Ramadan
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Legal assistance helps Syrian refugee get key documents and lifesaving treatment
Having valid IDs enable refugees to prove their identity, access public services on par with Iraqis, and secure employment
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Consistent funding from the European Union provides unwavering legal support to vulnerable Iraqis
For the third consecutive year, the European Union’s assistance has helped provide civil documentation to vulnerable Iraqis.
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UNHCR globally
UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (or the UN Refugee Agency), is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.
We work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution, war, or disaster at home.
Since 1950, we have faced multiple crises on multiple continents and provided vital assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced, returnees, and stateless people, many of whom have nobody left to turn to.
UNHCR in Iraq
The overall situation in Iraq has improved significantly since the conclusion of large-scale military operations against Da’esh in 2017. However, the security situation remains volatile and the economic situation fragile. The country generously hosts some 300,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly Kurdish Syrians (over 270,000), the majority of whom live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I).
Iraq also has over 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), of whom some 160,000 live in 23 IDP camps in the KR-I. IDPs report insecurity, limited access to public services, such as education, health or even water and electricity, and lack of livelihood opportunities and financial resources, combined with damaged housing in areas of origin and, for some of them, Sunni Arabs in particular, perceived affiliation with extremist groups as the main barriers to return.
UNHCR Iraq 2022-2024 strategy
UNHCR’ s 2022-2024 strategy focuses on enhancing the protection environment and ensuring refugees, IDPs, IDP returnees, and stateless people, as well as particularly vulnerable host community members, have increased opportunities for comprehensive solutions. Strategically UNHCR would like to see, by 2024, forcibly displaced and stateless people in Iraq better protected and have more equitable and inclusive access to quality basic services and rights. In line with the humanitarian community’ s transition efforts to sustainable development, UNHCR will aim to enhance displaced populations’ self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion in public systems and development programmes. With this objective, UNHCR will support public institutions to deliver accessible and quality basic services to all populations affected by forced displacement and vulnerable host communities.
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Find information and services for refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons.
SPECIAL THANKS TO DONORS
UNHCR thanks its major donors of un-earmarked and broadly earmarked funds, as well as those who recently contributed directly to UNHCR’s programmes in Iraq.