Work

When a population is faced with insecurity and a conflict situation, NGOs play a key role in disseminating information about the reality on the ground, thanks to teams which operate on the field.

Mercy Hands Europe was founded by the biggest Iraqi NGO (Mercy Hands for Humanitarian Aid) which is a major local expert in Emergency Response and Recovery in Iraq. We have learned from their experience working with them in Iraq. In 2020 we extended the emergency response also to other countries, such as Syria.

Now, our top priority is Ukraine. Since 24 February 2022, the situation within the country has deteriorated considerably due to the launch of military operations on Ukrainian territory, leading to the internal and external displacement of several million people.

Mobilising resources and raising awareness is essential to help the Ukrainian people to protect their rights. We have assessed the camps, in different locations throughout Ukraine, made publications on our social networks, including testimonies, we have written articles, raised awareness, to reach out the response of Switzerland and the international community to this humanitarian crisis.

We are now partnering with different organizations in the field and we are continuously scaling up our response.

In the district of Shatt Al-Arab, Iraq, women have fewer social, economic, and educational opportunities than men. Early marriage, household responsibilities, a perceived lack of job opportunities and conservative gender norms limit girls’ access to secondary school and eventual employment. However, the presence of oil companies in Basra creates a demand for skilled IT-workers and many residents lack these skills. The goal of this project, supported by CFLI, is to empower Iraqi girls by improving their creative computer and coding skills. Trainers provide training to female teachers in computer science and coding — following a tailored curriculum developed by an expert — so that they can in turn provide IT and coding classes in Basra schools to more students.

Iraq and Syria are facing significant challenges in their recovery from the war which resulted in a humanitarian crisis, the displacement of millions of people, and the destruction of infrastructure and basic services. Lack of livelihoods and access to basic services pushes vulnerable groups to normalise negative behaviours like domestic violence, gender based violence or armed group affiliation. Mercy Hand Europe and the International Social Service Switzerland work together to provide Iraqi and North-East Syrian families with social, legal and psychological support, and to strengthen child welfare and child protection systems in Iraq. We provide social, psychological and legal assistance to women and children in cases of violence, abuse, divorce, and mental instability, through our team of social workers, lawyers, psychologists and translators, as well as address cross-border migration cases.

Addressing the lack of sustainable income, fresh produce, and gardens in Domiz 1 camp, Iraq, Mercy Hands created community gardens under greenhouses to empower refugee families to grow their own sustainable food sources. 12 refugee families were given vegetable seedlings and trained to plant them in the community garden. However, all camp residents benefit from the harvests. Thanks to this project, refugees gain skills and confidence in their abilities to achieve self-sufficiency!

Beekeeping constitutes a viable microeconomic enterprise and presents an opportunity for poverty alleviation, empowerment of the local population, and strengthening of climate resilience. 10 years of conflict have led to the collapse of the local economy in Syria, the displacement of people, as well as the decline in the number of bees in the region and opportunities for Syrian beekeepers. In collaboration with the International Agricultural Cooperation Organization (IACO), we organise beekeeping training sessions to strengthen the capacities of experienced beekeepers who have lost their hives and are no longer able to make a living from this activity. We also distribute quality beekeeping equipment so that they can rehabilitate their damaged hives and establish new ones.

Nearly 4 years have passed since Talafar District, Iraq, was liberated from extremist group military occupation, but significant challenges still prevent the recovery of the area. Lack of livelihoods and access to basic services pushes vulnerable groups, such as internally displaced persons and returnees, to normalise negative behaviours like domestic violence, gender based violence or armed group affiliation. Children and women are especially vulnerable in those situations, and they are the first to become at risk of being victims of diverse types of violence. The project, supported by Anne Frank Fonds, established a referral centre to provide psychological support to children and women survivors of gender based violence and other abuses. In parallel, we are conducting a community awareness campaign to promote children and women’s rights, and promote the role of the Iraqi Community Police in preventing violence against women and children.

Provision of relief cash assistance to displaced households and survivors of the earthquake in Syria during wintertime.

in emergency situations giving cash to people affected by crises has increasingly shown to be a more effective, efficient, and dignified means of providing vulnerable people with humanitarian assistance. “It gives people the dignity, choice, and self-determination to make their own decisions on how to prepare, prioritize, and take care of their families in times of crisis.” ( Quote from @Care International). Moreover, “Cash-based interventions make the displaced less likely to resort to harmful coping strategies, such as survival sex, child labor, family separation, and forced marriage”.(Quote from @UNHCR). Cash-based mechanisms contribute to a faster revival of the local economy.

The objective of this project in Iraq is to increase the availability of structurally safer and more accessible school buildings to expand equitable access to formal and non-formal education for crisis-affected children and youth (ages 5-17), including those with disabilities. This also includes improving the quality of education by providing appropriate school supplies (school equipment, necessary furniture and tools to operate schools) for both formal and non-formal education.

As a scale-up of our first “empowerment of women and girls through IT and Coding Education” project in Iraq, we are now targeting an institute for blind children: Al Noor Institute, Basra, Iraq. The teachers are trained to transmit the basics of computer science to the blind girls, ensuring that they are not left behind. IT and coding will give the children with disabilities in Basra more access to job opportunities and personal development.

The project is located in Dohuk, Kurdish Region of Iraq. We are cultivating Hibiscus tea thanks to the Syrian refugees from the Domiz 1 Camp. The Hibiscus project aims to equip Syrian refugees with “Cash for Work” activities that will lead to new job opportunities and the development of a new market. A medical follow-up of hypertensive patients will follow the cultivation of the Hibiscus to improve health through natural treatments. The project has been realized under the request of scientific research made by a Swiss foundation and an Iraqi health company.

Baskets for Ukrainian IDPs

IT and coding classes

Psychosocial and legal support for Iraqi and North-East Syrian families

Promoting food autonomy for refugee families in the Domiz camp with greenhouses

Reviving the beekeeping activity in Al-Bab

Referral centre for child counselling and female empowerment in Talafar

Cash-Based Intervention (CBI) for the Earthquake-affected people

School Rehabilitation

Supporting Blind children with IT and Coding Classes

Cultivation of Hibiscus sabdariffa Tea Flowers to Treat Hypertension

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