By Sarah Maraschky | Communications Associate
On June 20th, Peace Winds celebrated World Refugee Day, a day to honor the more than 82 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes due to threats such as violence and humanitarian crises. This year, our staff in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) wanted to do something that would have a lasting impact on our Syrian refugee beneficiaries.
Peace Winds staff members kicked things off by volunteering their time to upgrade some of the water and sanitation facilities in the refugee camps where we work in the Duhok region of KR-I. This included maintenance activities for pipes, sinks, and water tanks in several schools, hospitals, and women's centers. The staff members at these facilities were very grateful for the repairs to their water and sanitation systems and sent Peace Winds some thank you videos, which you can check out here.
Peace Winds staff also attended various activities organized by Un Ponte Per (UPP) in the Qushtapa refugee camp in Erbil. Refugees and staff participated in activities such as painting, planting, and concerts to build community and celebrate the day. Additionally, at the events in Erbil and Duhok, Peace Winds set up tables where residents could learn more about our tool service centers. In partnership with the Barzani Charity Foundation, Peace Winds’ tool centers allow refugees to borrow tools for personal projects and household repairs, and they can even take courses on tool usage and safety.
We’re happy to report that the World Refugee Day activities were a success! Our tables were attended by members of UNHCR, the governor’s office, and the Swedish Development Aid Organization (SWEDO), as well as many refugees living in the camps we serve in Erbil and Duhok.
Peace Winds continues to work on upgrades to Syrian refugees families’ shelters and to public infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This includes repairs to substandard structures and renovations that make homes and public areas more accessible to people with disabilities with upgrades such as accessible toilets and showers, handrails, wider doorways, wheelchair ramps, improved signage, and covers over drains and gutters in public walkways.
Thank you to our donors, followers, and to the U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Population, Refugee, and Migration and the U.S. Consulate General Erbil for funding and supporting our work in Iraq.
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