Location: Iraq

When war breaks out, the world focuses — rightly — on the visible damage. Strikes. Casualties. Displacements. Shortages. But there is another layer of damage that rarely makes headlines.  For example in Iraq — where recovery from past wars intersects with ongoing regional power struggles — escalation doesn’t just destroy…

As crises grow in the Middle East, you can save lives. Our Teams Are Already Responding. Missiles are flying. Families are fleeing. Public services are shutting down. Retaliation is accelerating. This is not a warning phase. This is an active regional crisis. And the cost — human and economic —…

The Rights Advance: Improving Fundamental Freedoms and Human Rights in Iraq is a comprehensive 30-month project that will be implemented by the Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR), Search for Common Ground (Search), and the Iraqi al-Amal Association (IAA). This project aims to contribute to the improvement of the rights to…

The Iraqi Community of Practice (CoP) in Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance is a 24-month project implemented by Search for Common Ground (Search) and funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). The CoP is a community of 37 organizations operating throughout Iraq.…

Imagine having to run away and leave everything you’ve ever known, risking it all for a chance at a new life. This is the reality for countless migrants and refugees fleeing violence. This World Refugee Day, we honor their bravery and resilience by highlighting their stories. Hawar, Search’s Iraq Jobs…

In a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Iraq, many parents struggle to meet their children’s basic needs. When emergency situations become long-term displacement, relief aid funding dries up, and people have to fend for themselves. We met Khernof, a widow with four children, in an IDP camp…

Nadima’s vision was so clear, she could imagine every element. She dreamed of opening a glamorous salon for women. The interior would be spacious and clean; painted a chic charcoal grey with mirrors and trim details picked out in gold. It would be a comfortable space for women to get…

As Shkeb walks through the camp, he is filled with pride and thanks because he knows how far this community has come over the last nine years. Until recently, Shkeb had to travel far outside the camp to purchase basic necessities for his family, which ate up more time and…

Bayan’s new sewing business in Sinjar buzzes with energy: sewing machines humming, scissors cutting, people chatting, filling the air with warmth and heart. Her customers travel from all across the area for her beautifully crafted ceremonial dresses. Bayan’s shop is not just a business to support her family but a…