Iraq

Save the Children in Iraq

Iraq is a country with a rich history, once home to some of the world’s earliest civilizations. Today, it is transitioning from years of conflict toward recovery and development. While progress is being made, significant challenges remain – particularly for children.

Save the Children has been working in Iraq since 1991 and is one of the longest-standing international organizations supporting children, youth, and their families.

Iraq continues to move toward a humanitarian–development–peace (HDP) nexus, yet humanitarian needs persist. Around 1.1 million children remain in need of humanitarian assistance, and nearly 1 million people are still internally displaced. At the same time, 3.2 million children are out of school, highlighting ongoing gaps in access to education.

We operate across both Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, covering eleven governorates: Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Baghdad, Salah Al-Din, Diyala, Anbar, Muthanna, and Al-Qadisiya.

Working directly and through trusted local partners, we deliver integrated, child-centred programmes reaching the most vulnerable children, including those affected by displacement, conflict, and climate-related challenges, as well as returnee and host communities and Syrian refugees. Increasing drought, water scarcity, and environmental degradation are placing additional strain on families, affecting livelihoods and access to basic services.

Our work focuses on key areas:

Education – supporting safe, inclusive, and quality learning through early childhood education, formal and non-formal pathways, and accelerated learning programmes.
Child Protection & MHPSS – providing mental health and psychosocial support, case management, and safe spaces to help children recover, stay safe, and rebuild their lives.
WASH & Climate Resilience – improving access to safe water and sanitation, and supporting climate-resilient communities and schools.

Across all programmes, we place children’s rights and participation at the centre, while strengthening local systems and supporting long-term, sustainable solutions. In Iraq, this includes close collaboration with government counterparts on system strengthening and policy reform, including contributing to amendments of national legislation to better protect and support children.

Despite these challenges, Iraq is working toward long-term recovery. Ensuring that children are not left behind during this transition remains critical to building a stable and resilient future.

Binav*, 42 sits for a portrait with his family, Luna* 12, Vinwar* 14 and Aram* 7 and wife Zalal*,40, northern Iraq. Emily Garthwaite/ Save the Children

The Situation for Children in Iraq

Children in Iraq continue to face multiple, overlapping challenges that affect their rights to education, protection, and well-being.

Approximately 3.2 million children are out of school, and access to early childhood education remains very limited. Barriers such as poverty, displacement, and lack of services prevent many children from accessing safe and inclusive learning opportunities, increasing their risk of being left behind.

Children affected by conflict, displacement, and climate-related pressures face heightened protection risks, including child labour, early marriage, and recruitment by armed groups, as well as growing mental health and psychosocial needs.

Nearly 1 million people remain internally displaced, with many families living in protracted displacement or returning to areas with limited access to basic services such as education, healthcare, and water.

Access to essential services remains uneven across the country. Water scarcity, environmental degradation, and climate change are further increasing vulnerabilities, affecting children’s health, education, and family livelihoods.

While national efforts toward recovery and durable solutions are ongoing, gaps in infrastructure, services, and protection systems continue to impact children’s ability to fully enjoy their rights. Sustained investment in inclusive education, child protection, and climate-resilient systems is essential to ensure that no child is left behind.

Our Impact for Children in 2025

In 2025, Save the Children reached 65,551 people across Iraq, including children and adults, through integrated programmes across education, child protection, and climate resilience.

Around 60,000 children were reached with support, including access to education, mental health and psychosocial support, and essential services.

8,423

children protected from harm

1,228

children and youth empowered through child rights governance programmes

50,644

children reached with education programmes

4,540

children reached with WASH and Climate programmes

OUR RESULTS FOR CHILDREN IN IRAQ

Save the Children is delivering measurable results for children across Iraq. In our programmes, 87% of children demonstrated improved mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, while 82% reported reduced distress.

In education, 95% of children successfully completed non-formal learning programmes, supporting their return to structured learning and future opportunities. These results highlight the positive impact of sustained support for children facing ongoing challenges.

You can find more detailed information about the collective efforts of Save the Children International in Iraq, together with our partners, donors, communities, children, and youth, in advancing humanitarian and development interventions across the country in our 2025 Impact Report.

Read the Save the Children Iraq 2025 Impact Report

Viyan* 15, stands for a portrait inside her tent wearing traditional Yazidi dress, Kabaratu ID camp, northern Iraq.

Viyan, a 15-year-old Yazidi girl in the ninth grade, describes her life and the hardships she faces living in a camp ten years after Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacked her community in Iraq forcing her and her family to flee. She is proud of her Yazidi heritage, wearing her traditional dress for her photographs and campaigns for children’s rights in the country Daily life for Viyan revolves around her tent in the camp, where she finds comfort amidst the squalor and neglect outside. The streets are dirty and polluted, and she rarely leaves her tent except for school and extracurricular classes, such as English lessons. Viyan often stays inside with a friend, discussing school and what she wants to be when she grows up. Viyan longs for a better life, one where children do not have to live in such harsh conditions. She is particularly troubled by the oppressive treatment of children and the general sadness in the camp. Despite the dedication of her teachers, the quality of education is poor. Students, even those in fourth grade, struggle to read and write. Viyan believes that better education could significantly improve their lives. The local hospital lacks essential equipment and proper medical care. Viyan recounts her own experiences of seeking treatment, often having to travel to Dohuk for even minor illnesses, which is both expensive and time-consuming. Previously available play areas have been closed or destroyed, leaving children to play in the streets, which are unsafe and filled with stray animals. This exposure leads to frequent illnesses among the children, further exacerbating the community's health problems. She says that nearly every family in the camp has multiple sick children, including her own. Viyan* has attended several child’s rights conferences in Baghdad campaigning on behalf of Yazidi children and has been supported by Save the Children’s family safe program, which aims to prevent children from experiencing physical and humiliating punishment in the home. Despite her struggles she wants to study hard and become a doctor when she grows up to help sick children. Emily Garthwaite/Save the Children