AVSI Foundation has been present in Iraq, in the independent region of Kurdistan, since 2014, following the appeal launched by the Assistant Bishop of the Chaldean Patriarchate in Baghdad, Monsignor Shlemon Warduni, to confront the humanitarian crisis that hit the region. Between June and July 2014, the Isis offensive in Mosul triggered a flood of internal refugees and the displacement of more than 640,000 people in the country.

First aid for fleeing people. AVSI is immediately alongside the Chaldean Patriarchate and Caritas Iraq to bring help and first aid to newly arriving refugees, exhausted from travelling, with fear still in their eyes and the desire to start living again in safety.

The Iraq crisis. Today, the humanitarian crisis in Iraq is one of the largest and most complex in the world, and involves almost one third of the entire country's population. At present, 10 million Iraqis require some form of assistance. Of these 10 million, 3.4m are displaced (since January 2014), 3m people live under ISIS control, 3.2m live in host communities and 250,000 are refugees.

AVSI's projects in Erbil in supporting the displaced population:

• Support for former inhabitants of the ASTHI1 displaced persons’ camp, now transferred to rented accommodation in town
• Support for the "Casa del Bambino Gesù" kindergarten
• English and Computing Science courses for 30 displaced people in collaboration with the Catholic University of Erbil

An old presence. AVSI was first active and working in Iraq dating back to 1991, after the first Gulf war, with emergency health work, followed by later work in the health sector between 1994 and 1996, and in the educational sector between 2003 and 2006. From 2002 to 2004, we then carried out a socio-economic study, financed by Eni.

AVSI Iraq

Karek Ankawa 240/2/678/a

Sharia al-Mutanasah

Erbil

simone.manfredi@avsi.org