The area colored green on this slide denotes the region of Kurdistan where we travel and work. Kurdistan is a stateless region and stretches across Northern Syria, Northern Iraq and Western Iran and southern Turkey. We fly in and out of the International airport at Erbil. 

Iraq is bordered by Syria to the West, Turkey to the North, Iran to the East and Saudi Arabia to the south.

There are 3.9 million persons of concern in Iraq.  “Persons of concern” includes refugees, Asylum-seekers, Internally displaced persons, returned refugees, returned Internally displaced people, stateless persons and others to whom UNHCR extends its protection and/or assistance services, based on humanitarian or other special grounds. Of those 3.9 million persons of concern in Iraq, 283,222 are Syrian Refugees

And 1.8 million are internally displaced people resulting from the invasion of ISIS and subsequent war (includes religious minorities the Yezidis and Christians as well as Iraqi’s and Kurds)

The map shows the location of the 27 camps in the Duhok province. 

4 of the camps hold Refugees and 23 camps hold Internally Displaced People – predominantly Yazidis displaced from their land near Mt Sinjar in Iraq.

The number of refugees listed above is current to the end of 2018 and sourced from the UNHCR Refugee Agency site.

The recent Invasion by Turkey into Syria has resulted in many thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing into Northern Iraq seeking accomodation in the already overflowing camps in the Duhok province.

In May 2017, Operation Hope Volunteers worked at Hassan Sham U2 camp located 20kms east of Mosul. We donated $A22,000 for a women’s ward and children’s ward in the new Emergency Field Hospital being erected in the camp. We then raised $7,000 for a transportable office that was located next to the field hospital and was used for psychological and mental health services.

In September, 2018 Operation Hope Volunteers worked at ‘Bajed Kandala 2’ camp located 20kms east of the Syrian border and north of Sinjar. Our volunteers taught 5 english lessons each day, led Women’s Health Workshops and renovated the medical clinic in the camp. Operation Hope donated $A7638 to pay the final payment on a generator for the medical clinic and 2 x months supply of medications for the pharmacy, purchasing a printer, and supplies to renovate the medical centre.

In March, 2019 a 40ft shipping container was delivered into the Bajed Kandala 2 camp. Bajed Kandala 2 camp received and distributed the Humanitarian aide – 700+ blankets, clothes, shoes, educational supplies, sewing fabric, sewing machines, an overlocker, school uniforms, wheelchairs, calipers, crutches, baby bags, hospital linen and 2 ECG machines.
Some of the medical equipment was gifted to Bajed Kandala 2 camp – wheelchairs, calipers, crutches, hospital linen, 2 ECG machines, a set of baby scales and hospital beds and mattresses.
The remainder of the medical and hospital equipment was distributed into 1 hospital in Syria and 12 hospitals in the Duhok province.