The UN World Food Programme (WFP) started this month providing emergency food assistance to almost quarter of a million people who have been affected by fighting in Al-Anbar. WFP assistance will aim to reach 48,000 families for six months. The households include internally displaced and vulnerable people in areas with high concentrations of internally displaced persons due to the crisis. “Responding to the crisis in Al-Anbar and meeting the food needs of the most vulnerable during such times is a priority of WFP’s mission in Iraq,” said WFP Representative and Country Director in Iraq, Jane Pearce. Since 15 January 2014, WFP has been assisting families in Al-Anbar governorate with food rations including wheat flour, rice and other staple foods, as…

On 31/3/2014 Kurdistan Civil Rights Organization (KCRO) held a Seminar at the University of Dohuk with presence of a large group of academics ,teachers and students about 'encouraging women and increasing her capabilities in all aspects of life'. In the beginning of the session KCRO's Director shed a light on the most important achievements and projects in supporting women that have been carried out by the Organization for the advancement of women in Kurdistan in general and especially in Dohuk. Then the lecturer started his subject of the seminar about the empowerment of women and enhancing their capabilities and elevating her status, by participating in policy-making and making decisions in all aspects of life, through the generation of environment advocacy…

Dear Friends, We are excited to share information on March activities of the Iraq Foundation. Foundation Updates On March 10, Ms. Selwa Gailani took over the position of Executive Director. Ms. Rend Al-Rahim is now serving as the President of the Iraq Foundation! Read more here. Look for our new website, being launched late April 2014! Project Updates Hewar Initiative to Enhance Judicial Outreach and Transparency Hewar, meaning "dialogue" in Arabic, aims to establish a more transparent and responsive criminal justice system through engaging both the media and citizens to foster greater public awareness of legal rights and the role of courts and trust in judicial processes. Hewar is funded by the US Department of State: Bureau of International Narcotics…

During March, ACDI/VOCA, in coordination with 21 Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners in Dahuk, Diyala, Erbil, Kirkuk, Ninawa, Salah ad Din and Sulaymaniyah provinces hosted ten events in recognition of International Women’s Day which took place on March 8. The events aimed to express solidarity with the global community struggling for women’s equality as well as provide an opportunity to display the achievements and ongoing work of ACDI/VOCA’s partner CSOs that are working towards women’s empowerment and development. In total, 550 people participated in the events which were held throughout the month of March. The participants represented a range of civil society groups and organisations, local, provincial, regional and national government, activists, academia, artists, students, private sector institutions, and communities.…

The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) is an information management tool developed by the International Organization for Migration to gather baseline information on displaced populations and the conditions in the areas in which they have temporarily settled. The DTM has been rolled out in over 30 countries including Haiti, Pakistan, Mali, the Philippines, and South Sudan. DTM was first implemented in Iraq in 2006 to track the movements of IDPs during the wave of sectarian violence. Since late December 2013, tens of thousands of families have fled their homes in Anbar Governorate, where recent clashes between militant groups and Iraqi Security Forces have destabilized the area. In coordination with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and…

UPP works in Erbil and Dohuk Syrian refugee camps as an implementing partner of UNHCR. Funded by UNHCR, UPP provides psychosocial service with the help of social workers, psychologist, child psychologists and psychiatrists in Darashakran and Kawargosk camps since 2013. In February 2014 UPP launched its psychosocial project also in Basirma and Qushtapa camps. In Dohuk camps UPP provides psychosocial support and Mass Information since 2012, covering not only all the camps but also the border crossing point. UPP also supports Clowns without borders who arrived from Belgium and will perform clowns shows for Syrian refugee children in all camps in Iraqi Kurdistan.