Iraq: Child protection in refugee camps

Three organizations are working hand in hand on this project: Our sister organization Terre des Hommes – Italy has been active in northern Iraq for many years. Their work focuses on the protection, support, and education of children. The Kurdish Jiyan Foundation and the German association trauma aid train therapists specifically for the treatment of children. The aim is for them to process their traumatic experiences and find their way back to a structured daily life.

With support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Terre des Hommes cares for approximately 5,000 girls and boys from four refugee camps and five communities near Erbil and Dohuk. In children's centers, the girls and boys can playfully process their trauma and experiences of violence and recharge their batteries. Since the project began in 2016, more than 10,000 children have participated in the sports and recreational activities. Since last year, the informal educational programs have been aligned with the curriculum of state schools, and classes are taught in Kurdish, Arabic, and English. Very often, the parents are illiterate and unable to support their children with schoolwork. They, too, are involved in the project and educated about children's and human rights, as well as health issues. Peace and human rights education is also part of the curriculum, so that the children learn to resolve conflicts peacefully. Girls and boys with severe symptoms of mental health disorders are referred to mental health professionals and specialized organizations. Our partner, the Jiyan Foundation, provides initial psychological care and support at two clinics in Dohuk and Erbil, as well as in the Khanke and Hasansham refugee camps. The aim is to treat mental health disorders early and thereby prevent them from becoming chronic and hindering the further development of the young people.

At the start of the project, there were hardly any services for psychological trauma and mental health care in Dohuk and Erbil. Therefore, the partner organizations are establishing basic services and training 25 psychologists trained in Iraq in trauma therapy. They are helping children and young people cope with their traumatic experiences and break the cycle of violence. To achieve a sustainable improvement in the situation, the next step is to train local experts as trainers so that support structures can expand even without the help of international organizations.

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