Iraq

2 children under a bridge.

Hawre Khalid/Metrography for CRS

Iraq

  • 14K+

    Participant services delivered

  • 42M+

    Population

  • 438K

    Sq km area

CRS in Iraq

CRS and Caritas Iraq have served over 300,000 conflict-affected people in Iraq since 2014 with critical relief items and cash, shelter and sanitation, and education and emotional support for children. With offices in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul, Dohuk, and Erbil, CRS maintains robust, flexible emergency response capacity in Iraq to support families still living in displacement.

As locations stabilize and families are able to return home, CRS is scaling up its help for families rebuilding their lives. With support from CRS and Caritas Iraq, families are repairing their homes, restarting their livelihoods and accessing quality education for their children.

CRS' History in Iraq

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) began assisting Iraqi war victims immediately after the Gulf War in 1991. In 1999, following international sanctions and the call of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, CRS partnered with Caritas Iraq to reinitiate humanitarian programs addressing the growing needs of the Iraqi population.

CRS’ humanitarian support to the country continues to be ongoing, with our efforts ramping up following the escalation of violence in January of 2014, which has uprooted an estimated 3 million people. Many families describe fleeing at a moment’s notice after learning that the Islamic State (IS) was nearing their cities and towns. Civilians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds have been targeted and displaced, including minority communities such as Yazidis, Christians and Turkmen, as well as Shiites and Sunnis. In addition to the massive number of internally displaced Iraqis, the country is hosting some 230,000 refugees from Syria who have sought help, mainly in the northern Kurdistan region. Families in desperate need continue to arrive, straining local resources. 

Within the last year, CRS and Caritas Iraq have provided support to nearly 88,000 individuals.  This includes critical household items for winter; food assistance; safe shelter; water and sanitation; and child support centers that provide traumatized children with education, play and care.