Kurdistan Region

Situated in the northern part of Iraq the Kurdistan Region is an autonomous, self-governing area under full Kurdish control since 1991. The region is a parliamentary democracy and includes 3.8'million inhabitants.

Within the last years the regional authorities were able to establish peace and safety within the three provinces Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Dohuk. Thus, the situation in the Kurdistan Region is marked by relatively high standards of living in comparison with central and southern Iraq.

Sulaymaniyah and Erbil

Although the cities of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil are part of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region which was protected by a no-fly zone after the first Gulf War they enjoy full freedom and peace only since 2003.

The current population of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil are estimated at one million each, including Kurds and a significant number of Arab refugees who arrived after 2003. Sulaymaniyah is described as the most modern city in whole Iraq when individual freedom is concerned. Nonetheless, the situation of women remains an important subject of concern. Especially Erbil has become a fast growing city due to important international investments but is comparatively more traditional and conservative than Sulaymaniyah.

Chamchamal

Chamchamal is situated halfway between Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk. With about 50,000 inhabitants Chamchamal is a relatively small city that has been neglected for many years. As there are only very few NGOs in the city the need for childcare pedagogical assistance is high.

Halabja

Halabja is located about 90 km south east of Sulaymaniyah; the population of the whole area is estimated at 250,000. The city was partly destroyed by the Iraqi Army in the aftermath of the chemical attacks of 1988, many victims were deported. Until today the destruction of the infrastructure and the familial systems determines the region as one of the poorest in North Iraq with a high rate of unemployment, social conflicts and domestic violence. As the Kurdish government neglected the area and its population after 1991, the Islamist movement was able to take over the region in 2000. Even though in 2006 the Kurdish government regained control over the region with the help of the US military forces, the situation in this area remains critical.

Duhok

Duhok, located near the Turkish border, has about 250,000 inhabitants. According to a UNDP survey 66% of the Duhok population have been victims of forced displacement at any point in their lives. The target area has been a staging ground for numerous conflicts between the Baath regime and the Kurdish resistance. As in all parts of Iraqi Kurdistan, the inhabitants of this region have been suffering from persecution, punitive military operations and the Anfal campaign. Until 1991, a huge number of villages and infrastructure had been destroyed and thousands disappeared, among them 10,000 men of the Barzani tribe.

After 2003, the target area became home to a huge number of internally displaced persons who have fled from ongoing sectarian violence and recent human rights violations in other parts of Iraq. The IOM estimates a figure of 83,333 displaced families of all ethnicities and religions to live in the Kurdistan Region. A large number of the refugees belong to the Christian minority. While exact numbers cannot be given, the Kurdish Regional Government estimates that app. 20,000 Christian refugee families from Baghdad, Basra and Mosul live in Duhok and Erbil (Ainkawa Quarter) and in the Nineveh Plains.