In the destructive wake of the self-declared Islamic State terrorist group, the numbers of orphans and female-led households in Iraqi Kurdistan are increasing dramatically.
Many women and children have been displaced from their homes, and have been forced to live with relatives or in refugee camps. Rise Foundation is an NGO based in Iraqi Kurdistan that is launching a campaign to help orphans and female-led households prepare for winter in Iraq.
Harsh Winters in Northern Iraq
As if forced displacement isn’t enough for these women and children, winter is coming to northern Iraq, and many of the displaced are at risk from freezing temperatures.
The Kurds inhabit the mountainous region on the border of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
Iraq is not entirely desert. In fact, most of Iraqi Kurdistan is located in a mountainous region– thousands of feet above sea level– where temperatures drop well below freezing during the winter season.
Helping Women and Children
The Rise Foundation has partnered with the Kurdish Aid Foundation to identify hundreds of cases of vulnerable orphans and female-led households in need of critical winter support.
These are groups and individuals that receive little or no aid from other organizations and are taking shelter in rudimentary conditions, often in remote areas. The Winter Campaign will provide targeted assistance with winter clothing, blankets, hygiene kits, and food assistance.
You Can Help Today
Rise Foundation is currently accepting donations to help provide “basic support packages,” which include:
- Rise Foundation family food package – $36
- Winter jackets – $15
- Blankets – $16
- Family hygiene kit – $22
You can donate to Rise Foundation’s Winter Campaign here.
Message from the Director of Rise
Rise Foundation Director Tom Robinson has shared the following message, below:
Over the past year the context here in Iraq has changed a lot –politically, militarily and economically. ISIS continues to cause havoc and tragedy while governments struggle to fight a war and support record numbers of displaced during a time of economic hardship. All the while, interest for humanitarian initiatives seems to be at an all-time low.
While the world’s focus is elsewhere, there are those who have been through hell and are now struggling with the most fundamental of needs. Our Winter Campaign has sought out the most vulnerable of the displaced, namely orphans and female headed households – all a result of ISIS– and seeks to provide them with a degree of support over the most difficult time of the year.
This is a highly targeted endeavor that will see aid go to where it is needed the most.
