Creating Opportunities for Syrian Refugees in Iraq

Syrian refugee couple uses a new ramp

Over the last five years, Peace Winds has been working to modify shelters and create livelihood opportunities for Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This includes making homes and public spaces more accessible as well as helping refugees build the skills they need to find jobs and support their families.

With the current project, one of Peace Winds’ central goals is to meet the needs of disabled and elderly refugees through home upgrades. Modifications include handrails, wheelchair ramps, and accessible latrines and showers, offering families a greater sense of independence and safety. In 2023, our teams worked alongside refugees to upgrade a total of 613 homes for the elderly, disabled, and their families. 

Before & after latrine & shower upgrades

Now, staff in Duhok are preparing for 700 new shelter upgrades which will be completed by September 2024. Preparations as of February 2024 include orientations for families who will receive upgrades, ensuring they know what to expect throughout the process. Staff are also registering refugees who will participate in Peace Winds’ cash-for-work program. This unique program allows beneficiaries to complete their own home upgrades in exchange for cash payments, building their construction skills and providing them with short-term employment. 

In partnership with Barzani Charity Foundation, Peace Winds’ work in Iraq also offers training courses to help Syrian refugees build their skills in areas such as construction, plumbing, electricity, and home maintenance. Construction is a large and growing sector in the Kurdistan Region, so courses are aimed at helping refugees find job opportunities in the local communities.  

In January, Peace Winds unveiled a new workshop in Kawergosk camp in Erbil. This new workshop joins six others in Erbil and Duhok as a space for refugees to take training courses and borrow tools free of charge. While other tool rental sites are available to refugees in the host communities, they typically cost about US$3 per day, and refugees would spend hours traveling back and forth. Peace Winds’ tool rental program is free of charge, and the central location means refugees never have to leave the camps. We are proud to have lent more than 60,000 tools to refugees over the last year, helping them save several hundred thousand dollars in tool rentals for personal projects and home repairs.

Visit to workshop in Kawergosk camp

In February, Peace Winds was glad to welcome officials from the U.S. Consulate Erbil to the new workshop in Kawergosk. U.S. Deputy Consul General Ms. Pamela Hack, Refugee Coordinator Samuel Rothenberg, and Assistant Refugee Coordinator Mr. Dilshad Abubakir visited alongside Peace Winds America CEO James Gannon. Their valuable conversations centered on strategies for improving support mechanisms for refugees and assessing ongoing needs and challenges.

Peace Winds is grateful to our partner organization, Barzani Charity Foundation, for co-managing the tool centers in both Erbil and Duhok. We are also grateful to the U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the U.S. Consulate General Erbil for funding and supporting this project. This project is funded by PRM as well as contributions from individual donors. We thank you for your continued support.

Shelter before vs. after accessibility upgrades

Syrian refugee after receiving cash-for-work payment