OUR WORK

Omar's* siblings express what they cannot always say in words. Omar*’s youngest brother colours beside a small heater in their cold home — moments that reflect the slow process of healing through psychosocial support. Helen Baker / Save the Children

In 2014, when ISIS attacked, Binav and his family fled to a camp where they have now lived for almost ten years. They receive support in the camp, but life remains challenging. Binav has four children, and their daily life revolves around looking for manual work. The ISIS attack was terrifying, He witnessed killings, abductions, and extreme violence, Binav and his family fled to the mountains to survive. They stayed there for several nights without food or water, sharing a single piece of bread among four people. It was incredibly difficult. Binav was with his father and brother, helping elderly men and women escape on a tricycle. When the tricycle broke down on a bridge, they spent a night there until relatives came to rescue them, bringing them to Dohuk. Their escape involved crossing through Syria, where they stayed until the camp was built. Many people lost family members, and the conditions in the camp are harsh. Fires, deaths, and the intense heat in nylon tents without electricity make life there very difficult. The constant worry of further violence weighs heavily on Binav and his family. When Binav visits Sinjar, he still sees the destruction and lack of infrastructure, making life there equally hard. The economy in Sinjar was destroyed by ISIS, leaving no livelihood, agriculture, or livestock. Binav wants his children to study and have a better future, free from the hardships he experienced. He hopes for improved economic conditions and the end of discrimination. Binav dreams of a restored Sinjar with electricity, water, schools, and hospitals, providing a safe and stable environment for his family. Despite the struggles, Binav finds solace in his family. His children go to school, and his wife engages in handicrafts to contribute to their livelihood. Their life is built on resilience and the hope for a better future. Emily Garthwaite/ Save the Children

Ahmed* 14 years, lives in Abu Al-Khaseeb area in Basra, south of Iraq, with his family that consists of 5 people (including him), his father works as a clerk in their town, and his mother is a housewife. The family is originally displaced from village near Shat Al-Arab, their journey of displacement started as a result of the armed conflict and war between Iraq and Iran in the 1980-1990s. The family originally works in agriculture and animal breeding, till nowadays. However, after the displacement, Ahmed’s* father and grandfather started working as daily labors and guards due to the deteriorating agricultural businesses. Ahmed* likes to play football with his friends , swimming and enjoys studying, on his free time, he helps his father taking care of their goats, ducks and chickens. Their animals were affected by the climate change, the rise of sea water levels, is driving the intrusion of salt water to their lands, causing animals to die, and their farms to deteriorate. His father and grandfather plant date-palms, Okras, and other type of vegetables, however, the family haven’t cultivated their lands two years in a row. Ahmed* as any kid in his age, enjoys going to school, play with his friends and helping his father, Ahmed* enjoys biology, mathematics and Arabic lessons in his school, and loves being in the school. Ahmed is seeing the impact of the climate change on his family, by witnessing the death of their animals, crops, drought, and decrease in their income. Ahmed* directly is touching the effects of climate change on their income, agriculture, and animals. Ahmed* is worried about his future, concerned that if the situation continuous, then he might have to drop out of school, and he can’t fulfill his dream in being an Engineer. Save the Children has conducted a needs assessment and is planning to provide psychosocial support to this family and refer them to government services to support them financially. Save the Children also runs a project at Abu Al-Khaseeb and will provide child protection services to these families. Emily Garthwaite/ Save the Children

Saradadsht* lives in a tent with her family in an area of the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq. She has eight sisters and two brothers. The tent in which they live doesn’t protect the family from the extreme heat of the summer nor the harsh cold of the winter. If there’s any rain, water enters the tent. The family suffers from severe poverty due to the weak economy of the area in which they live. As a result, Saradadsht* works with her father Zayaan*, for four hours every morning in a small food shop, and goes to school in the afternoon. When there aren’t any customers in the shop, she plays with one of her brothers. Her father says that he wishes for the family’s financial situation to be better so that his daughter didn’t need to work in the shop with him. Instead, he says, she’d be free to play with other children. One day, Saradadsht* dreams of becoming a doctor. She says that she wants to help her family and anyone else in need. Saradadsht’s* family was supported through Save the Children’s WASH programmes in the community. These include access to quality water and the distribution of hygiene kits, which include soap, sanitisers, shampoo and female hygiene products. Meethak Al Khatib/ Save the Children

Ronza* lives with nine family members in a small village outside of Sinjar, Iraq. The area in which the family lives doesn’t have access to basic services such as healthcare, electricity or water. Ronza*s father, Sarwr*, says that his daughter needed an operation immediately after she was born to remove fluid from her brain. He says that she didn’t receive the operation until 40 days later. Despite having the operation, Ronza* now has a disability with her legs and can’t walk normally. Sarwr* says his daughter needs to be sent abroad for a second operation. The family, however, can’t afford to pay for this. Ronza* loves going to school and spending time with her friends, but her brother, Kujar*, says that she can’t make it to school sometimes due to her disability. Meethak Al Khatib/ Save the Children

Dalia* lives in a tent with her family in a remote area of the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq. She has one brother and five sisters. The family was displaced to the area eight years ago following the Yazidi genocide. Dalia*s mother, Sirin*, says that her daughter was almost a year old when this happened and that the family doesn’t feel safe leaving the Sinjar Mountains as a result. The mountain environment in which the family lives is rugged and far away from all basic services, including schools and hospitals. Dalia*’s school is in another town so she has to stay at her uncle’s house when she attends. The family’s tent is pitched on rocky ground and lacks electricity. The tent doesn’t protect the family from the extreme heat of the summer nor the harsh cold of the winter. If there’s rain, water enters the tent from the roof. Dalia*s father, Hukar*, suffers from a back problem that prevents him from walking as well as working. He used to trade clothes for money, but can no longer do so. He hasn’t been able to find another job that accommodates his back problem. The family doesn’t have another source of income, so they’re suffering from extreme poverty as a result. Save the Children ensures that families like Dalia*’s can access safe and clean drinking water through our WASH programming, after the destruction of water infrastructure in her community. This protects children like Dalia* and her siblings from life-threatening water-borne diseases. Meethak Al Khatib/ Save the Children