Iraq
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Photo: Nigel Downes for Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Strengthen civil society and local government capacity, and provide the building blocks for a safe and thriving democracy, including education, basic services and human rights.
The context
The road to a new Iraq is fraught with challenges and citizens struggle to survive against a backdrop of political dysfunction, infighting and potential civil war. Little of Iraq’s vast oil wealth is spent on basic services. Electricity is an ongoing problem, water is in short supply, and large communities of displaced families lack water, shelter and proper hygiene facilities.
Our work
- Economic opportunity: Partnering with local groups to finance 1,577 community projects spearheaded by citizens
- Conflict & Governance: Encouraging reconciliation and good governance by empowering local leaders to resolve disputes and reform policies
- Emergency response: Providing food and water to internally displaced Iraqis
- Women & Gender: Equiping more than 26,000 women and girls with basic literacy and numeracy skills as well as information about democracy and women’s rights
All stories about Iraq
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Iraq: VIDEO: A song, laughter and clapping January 31, 2011
A school isn't only a place of learning for a child, it's a place of security. It's a place to be among trusted friends and caring adults.
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Iraq: Peaceful still life January 30, 2011
A lifetime of conflict, displacement and uncertainty could make for some pretty dark art. A painter growing up during some of Iraq’s most violent years might find themselves replaying dismal and disturbing scenes with brushstrokes across canvas.
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Iraq: Finding the story January 30, 2011
I work with Awatif in southern Iraq, but we had to travel across the country to get to know one another.
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Iraq: Youth under siege, but waging peace January 28, 2011
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Iraq: Life amidst the ruins January 27, 2011
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Iraq: Images from the Iraq Storytelling Workshop January 26, 2011
Mercy Corps recently held a writing and photography workshop for 22 staffers from all over Iraq. On the second day of training, they had the chance to visit three villages around the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk to do interviews and take photographs.
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Iraq: Putting their new skills into practice January 25, 2011
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Iraq: How Iraq sounds to most of us January 24, 2011
In the days before I left the U.S., when I was telling friends and family about traveling to Iraq, the words I heard most were, “Really? Be careful.”
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Iraq: The Mercy Corps women of Baghdad October 22, 2010
Although I don’t have any statistics on this subject, I feel pretty confident that Mercy Corps is probably one of the only international organizations in Iraq whose Baghdad Office was primarily opened and established by women.
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Iraq: Iraq's women: worth the risk July 27, 2010
Iraq's contentious election has tied its political system in knots. But this isn't stopping Mercy Corps from pursuing one of its main objectives there: making women's voices heard.