Soccer Salam is grateful for donors like the Lake Oswego Rotary Club who help us to continue to deliver humanitarian relief and the joy of soccer to the vulnerable children and families of Iraq.
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Join the Soccer Salam team today and help us achieve our dream of reaching over 2,000 Iraqi children and their families with humanitarian aid and the joy of soccer by the end of this summer. We’ve only got 60 days, so let’s get to it!!!
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work in Bzeibiz
Bzeibiz, IRAQ – On June 17, the second event under Soccer Salam’s summer cycle successfully distributed food items, medications, and water tanks in Bzeibiz, an area previously untouched by humanitarian aid.
Our partner on the ground, the Iraq Health Aid Organization (IHAO), led by Hala al-Sarraf, facilitated the visit to Bzeibiz accompanied by another NGO partner who wished to report on the distribution and to contribute aid efforts to the area. The more International NGOs involved with our visits the better! With NGOs reviewing and circulating news of the realities of the humanitarian crisis, Soccer Salam is able to earn more support towards helping overcome the damaging effects of ISIS on the displaced children and families of Iraq.
IHAO’s visit to Bzeibiz was approved by Iraq’s Office of People’s Affairs under the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, who supplied them with vehicle passes. The distribution team expected to reach Bzeibiz early in the morning, but due to reports of car bombs in the area, two truckloads of humanitarian aid goods and two cars were not allowed to pass through the required security checkpoint until 3:00 pm. The delay of the two-hour drive from Baghdad into the heat of the day added to the preexisting stress of maintaining safety in a desolate and remote area of the desert of the Anbar province. Soccer Salam’s partners pushed forward, determined to deliver aid even in the face of danger.
Wednesday’s mission is the largest thus far for Soccer Salam’s summer aid. The distribution included several key elements to summertime survival for the IDPs in Bzeibiz: medicine, water, food and other personal items.
Medications were donated to IHAO, who generously contributed them to the Soccer Salam project to maximize the benefits of aid distribution. Two doctors and a pharmacist helped to collect and distribute 100 bottles of 23 kinds of medication in an effort to combat some of the most common diseases found in IDP camps, such as chronic infections of the skin and lungs, fungal infections, worms, and others. According to the WHO/EWARN, the leading causes of death in IDP camps include Acute Respiratory Tract Infections and skin diseases like scabies. Among those affected by illness, 31% are children below the age of 5.
100 water tanks and tubes were distributed to 100 tents where it is common for multiple families reside in a single tent. Water sanitation tablets were also given to these families. This is the first time the families of Bzeibiz have ever had water containers – before our visit they collected water in stagnant cement storage basins and shared it amongst all of the occupants of the camp.
Food baskets were delivered to families who had not been reached during our previous visit to Bzeibiz, and an additional 30 baskets were distributed to the families of a third camp near Bzeibiz by the IHAO teams. With Ramadan now fully underway, these food baskets provide the opportunity for displaced families to safely participate in fasting and to enjoy Iftar (breaking of the fast). The celebration of Ramadan is one way for these families to escape the violence and desolation around them, if only for a month.
A colleague of Hala al-Sarraf, who works intensively with women in IDP camps and mosques in Baghdad, accompanied IHAO for the distribution. During the event she visited every tent and spoke to the women and girls about their issues in the camp. It became quite apparent that children were traumatized after witnessing substantial violence – many of the children witnessed their parents killed by ISIS.
The tragedy of the stories of the children and families in Bzeibiz did not hinder the joy of the event. Along with humanitarian goods, soccer balls were given to the children, and we witnessed the reinvigoration of fun in an otherwise forsaken place. Not only did the children have a great time, but some of the IHAO staff got carried away playing a soccer match against the kids! When night began to fall, the team had to pack up (and forfeit their game) to hit the road back to Baghdad. When asked about the events of the day, the team said that they had so much fun with the kids that every minute in the heat was worth it. It is inspirational stories and experiences like these that drive the Soccer Salam team to continue reaching as many children with aid and fun as possible.
If you would like to follow our progress in Iraq, subscribe to the Soccer Salam webpage and receive inspiring updates about the young lives we are changing.
Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
By Ahmed Ali
Updates for June 12, 2015
- The U.S. is deploying an additional 450 military advisors to Iraq. This decision comes in the aftermath of the May 17 fall of Ramadi and this mission and the advisors will be based in eastern Anbar province. The deployment of these advisors will likely boost the confidence of Iraqi Sunni tribes who are fighting ISIS.
- Clashes continued in Anbar province as Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are pressuring ISIS in areas east of Fallujah particularly in the Garma area. ISF also conducted operations in the vicinity of Haditha and al-Baghdadi sub-districts and these operations are likely intended to pressure ISIS in western Anbar.
- In Salah ad-Din province in the north, clashes continued in Baiji, home to Iraq’s largest oil refinery, and there are ongoing operations in the Hamrin mountain areas between Salah ad-Din and Diyala provinces.
- Senior member of the Diyala Provincial Council, Karim al-Juburi denied that the UN has suspended its activities in the province. The denial comes in the aftermath of news that the UN suspended its activities in light of the kidnapping of the UN’s office chief in the province. Also in Diyala, a fire at an IDP camp in Khanaqin burned down 43 tents but caused no casualties.
450 New U.S. Military Advisors to Iraq Amid Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker’s Visit
On June 10, the White House announced that the United States government will deploy 450 extra U.S. military advisors to Iraq. The advisors will be based in al-Taqqadum air base in Habbaniyah in eastern Anbar province. These new advisors will provide training to Iraqi forces and Iraqi Sunni tribes. Additionally, the new advisors will work on engaging Iraqi Sunni tribes in Anbar province and will have the responsibility of assisting Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in retaking Anbar areas from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Also this week, the Speaker of Iraq’s Council of Representatives (CoR), Salim al-Juburi, visited Washington for high-level meetings with U.S. officials. Speaker Juburi raised the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) during his public appearances.
Eastern Anbar Major Effort for Anti-ISIS Forces
On June 7, the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) announced that security forces launched an attack on Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) hideouts in Garma area, east of Fallujah in Anbar province. Reportedly, the attack resulted in destroying three Vehicle-Borne Improvised Devices (VBIEDs). On the same day, the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) launched a joint military operation in al-Hamra and al-Maqila areas in northern Garma. On June 8, the Iraqi army and PMU launched a joint operation targeting ISIS in the Rashad area in the vicinity of Garma.
On June 9, anti-ISIS forces launched used rockets to target ISIS elements in Fallujah reportedly killing 22 ISIS militants. The Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate further stated that amongst those killed were four foreigners. Four ISIS vehicles were also destroyed. On the same day, the Iraqi army and the federal police averted a Suicide VEST attack by five suicide bombers in the al-Amiriyat al-Fallujah Municipal building, south of Fallujah. A source in the Anbar Operations Command confirmed that the five militants killed were wearing explosive vests. On the same day, the Iraqi Security Forces launched operations to disrupt ISIS presence in the Haditha and al-Baghdadi districts, western Anbar.
ISIS Focused on the Hamrin Mountains
On June 7, the Iraqi Security Forces and PMUs reportedly cleared ISIS from the municipal building in Baiji, north of Tikrit. However, ISIS was reportedly still in control of six neighborhoods in northern Baiji in addition to a sub-district. The operation included the participation of Iraqi army aviation. On June 9, a Federal Police (FP) force and the PMUs launched a joint operation targeting ISIS in the Hamrin mountains area, east of Tikrit. The FP commander, Raed Shakir Jawdat stated that ISIS was seeking to control an area in Hamrin mountain and that this operation was preemptive. On June 11, an FP force targeted ISIS again in the Hamrin mountains.
UN has not Suspended Activities in Diyala
On June 6, member of the Diyala provincial Council, Karim al-Juburi, denied that the United Nations has suspended its work and activities in Diyala. Juburi stated that the United Nations is currently working to build low-cost houses in the areas of Muqdadiyah and Sherwen. On June 9, a fire broke out in an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp that houses about 14,000 families in Khanaqin. The fire burned 43 tents in total; there were no casualties, but a number of IDPs were injured, and there was some material damage. Ghazi Ali Agha, the Manager of Khanaqin Migration, attributed the cause of the fire to the close distances between the tents. On June 10, the Minister of Construction, Tariq al-Kikhani, announced the allocation of over 100 billion dinars to for the rehabilitation of Diyala’s infrastructure given the clashes between the anti-ISIS forces and ISIS. Kikhani stated that 91 billion dinars will be allocated to rehabilitation and construction projects in the province and 10 billion dinars to the rehabilitation of roads and bridges projects.
Ahmed Ali is a Visiting Senior Fellow and the Director of the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor at the Education for Peace in Iraq Center. He would like to thank Abdul Bhat and Tarai Zemba for research support.
Press Release: EPIC Welcomes Ahmed Ali as Visiting Senior Fellow, Launches Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2015
Contact: Erik Gustafson
Phone: (202) 682-0208
Email: info@epic-usa.org
Washington, DC – EPIC Executive Director Erik Gustafson announced today that leading Iraq analyst Ahmed Ali has joined EPIC as a Senior Visiting Fellow and will serve as Director of the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor (ISHM), an important new project that aims to track the latest security and political developments in Iraq through a humanitarian lens, offering insights and details unmatched by other publications.
See more at: http://bit.ly/1Cfi4J2
Peace Building in Babel
Babel, IRAQ—Exciting news coming out of Babel, Iraq this week! Our Soccer Salam team just completed the delivery of food baskets and other essentials to 60 families now living in Babel, most of whom were originally displaced from Ramadi - another step forward in Soccer Salam’s continued efforts to reach the many Iraqis displaced by violence and left untouched by humanitarian aid this summer.
The needs of these displaced people, especially the needs of displaced Iraqi children go beyond food, water and shelter. They need a chance to play and forget the traumas of war. Soccer Salam addresses these psychological needs, supplying soccer balls for these children in addition to vital provisions of aid.
Soccer Salam’s on the ground partner, the Iraq Health Aid Organization (IHAO), was instrumental in the Babel distribution. As an NGO based in Baghdad, Iraq and operated by Iraqis, IHAO aims to promote the long-term health and stability of the country from within. Hala al-Sarraf, our fearless colleague and IHAO director, spearheaded this most recent distribution. Here is Hala’s direct dispatch from Babel:
From: Hala al-Sarraf
Dear All,
I am pleased to report the distribution of food baskets to families now in Babel, originally displaced from Ramadi. The event was attended by the Head of the Committee for Displaced people of the Provisional Council of Babel. Mr. Kassim al-Fatlawi, who is an IHAO member and our focal point in Babel, worked to collect the IDP families’ names and data. All names were checked against food ration coupons and IDs of each family who received a basket.
This mission is different from others though. A member of IHAO team participating in the distribution of goods today, Mr. Ahmed al-Kaissy, hails from Kirkuk. A Sunni Iraqi, Mr. Ahmed is now working together with his Shia IHAO colleague Mr. Kassim to help these IDPs from Anbar.
Some of the IDPs told us their stories.
Among the accounts were heard those we heard were from IDPs fleeing al-Qaim, which is currently under the control of ISIS. One Sunni man described the fate of his tribe, many of whom had died at the hands of ISIS only two days prior. Despite this tragedy, we find that the Sunni IDP families were welcomed into this Shia community, who helped arrange for this distribution, giving these families the aid they desperately needed.
A positive sign in the shadow of despair. More photos to follow.
Best,
Hala
Hala’s dispatch sheds light on just how significant the impact of Soccer Salam is and why it is vital for the future of Iraq. The sheer number of displaced Iraqis, over 3.6 million according to recent estimates by the UN, exhibits that the need for aid is more dire than ever. Additionally, large international relief efforts lack the funds to reach all of these vulnerable populations. There is an evident gap between the amount of aid needed to assist all of those who are displaced and how much is actually provided. Projects like Soccer Salam, which partner with Iraqi organizations who deliberately seek out hard-to-reach groups, often untouched by aid, are imperative for the relief effort as a whole.
Soccer Salam offers more than just lifesaving relief to its beneficiaries. It gives Iraqi volunteers, from diverse backgrounds, the opportunity to work together, and in the process to build bridges of understanding over divisive issues. Many times Iraq is portrayed as a country chronically divided along religious, ethnic and cultural lines. Sunni-Shia, Arab-Kurd, etc. Babel is an exceptional case. Volunteers and aid workers have come together to help their fellow Iraqis; Shia communities have opened their arms to Sunni populations displaced by violence, all acting in contrast to stereotypes. Religious divides did not prevent volunteers from different regions and religious sects from coming together to solve a common issue that all Iraqis face—the humanitarian crisis fueled by the conflict with ISIS.
In a larger sense, Babel exemplifies how efforts to assist those in need right now can have a lasting impact in the future. Peace building does not happen overnight. It requires rigorous participation by the people, the government and international society. The road ahead will be a difficult one in the wake of the displacement and destruction caused by ISIS; however, Soccer Salam’s work is a step in the right direction. By peacefully bringing together various segments of Iraqi society to help those in need, Soccer Salam is actively participating in building a lasting peace in Iraq.
Soccer Salam hopes to be a part in laying the foundation for a more robust and prosperous Iraq. With your help, our partners can reach those still in need of aid and invest in the future of Iraq—its children. Join our team and support Soccer Salam’s campaign to raise money for displaced Iraqi children in need.
- See more at: http://www.epic-usa.org/peace-building-in-babel/#sthash.BM7eV41u.dpuf
Special Report: The Forgotten Displaced Families of Anbar
by Cathy Otten with Introduction by Ahmed Ali
Introduction
On March 20th, Erbil-based reporter Cathy Otten and I visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Anbar to document their living conditions and situation. Starting in January 2014, Iraqi families from the Fallujah area in eastern Anbar were part of the first wave of forced migration caused by the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIL or ISIS, and the ensuing war between the Iraqi government and ISIS. Today, these Anbari families are among Iraq’s most vulnerable people, largely forgotten by the outside world.
IDPs have been forced to flee to safer areas across Iraq, with a majority heading north to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). In the region’s capital, Erbil, large numbers of IDPs from Fallujah settled in the city of Shaqlawa at the foot of Safin Mountain north of the capital. The presence of 8,000 Anbari families who are mostly from Fallujah in Shaqlawa has earned the city the nickname “Shaqlujah.” Many of these families reside in urban areas where conditions are difficult. During our visit, the IDPs who are predominantly Iraqi Sunni detailed their needs and sentiments. With their ordeal going on for so long, they feel neglected. They talked of needing financial support, employment, education, health care, and food. These needs are crucial but meeting them has proven to be difficult due to the financial challenges the Iraqi government faces and reports of corruption. Right now, it is especially urgent to ensure that these families have what they need to endure Iraq’s long, hot summer, including refrigerators, fans, air conditioners, and access to clean water.
The IDPs from Fallujah feel a sense of betrayal by the Iraqi government, local Anbar officials, and the international community. Speaking to some IDPs also revealed the deep distrust that exists between Iraq’s Shi’a and Sunni communities. Such feelings shed light on the challenges ahead for reconciliation when these families eventually return to their homes. — Ahmed Ali, Washington, D.C.
Life for Anbar’s forgotten, displaced families
SHAQLAWA, IRAQ — Opening his mouth in the damp, windowless room, Ayhem Al Jumaili starts to sing of a home he left over a year ago – when he was not yet four. “I had a dream I returned to Fallujah,” he sings as his small voice fills the room, “but I awoke and was still far away.”
Ayhem memorized the song from fragments of stories and text messages passed around by family and friends who fled Fallujah over a year ago, travelling north to Shaqlawa in Iraqi Kurdistan; after ISIS-led forces took control and fighting broke out between insurgents and government forces.
Now a new wave of families are escaping violent clashes in Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, as ISIS attempts to take that city too, dashing Ayhem’s dreams of returning home. In April more than 114,000 people fled the Ramadi area towards Baghdad.
Um Mustafa sits listening to her son Ayhem sing in their partly built shelter, which lies under the Safeen Mountain. Her eyes fill with tears. Gaping holes in the walls are covered with sheets of blue tarpaulin; giving the room a dim, aqua glow. Winter is receding but the clouds outside are dark. Later it will pour down – drenching the floors and clothes of families like theirs living in abandoned buildings.
In the center of town ice cream shops and family eateries are closed for Friday prayers and the Kurdish imam’s sermon drifts out over quiet streets. Over eight thousand displaced families, around 40,000 people now live in Shaqlawa according to local aid workers, most of them from Fallujah living in rented homes or unfinished buildings, open to the elements.
ISIS advances have been well documented since Um Mustafa escaped Fallujah, unlike the lives of Sunni Arabs forced from their homes. Civilians who fled shelling, street fighting and barrel bombing are sheltering where they can, but say they were almost entirely forgotten – until ISIS pushed forward through northern Iraq last summer, displacing and terrorizing minority groups that made the international media and aid groups suddenly take notice.
“It has been one year and two months since I have seen my family, my house, my city,” says a displaced man from Fallujah drinking tea on a rainy morning in the deserted center of Shaqlawa. “Unlike 99 percent of the people in the world I love Fallujah, it is my city. I used to take pictures of the river, the sun, the clouds and the mosques.”
He says that for him Fallujah was the city of mosques, but now, “It is a city of ghosts, there is no electricity, no water. ISIS controls everything. There is shelling and bombing everywhere. People there say they can only use small generators for power, some even use wood to cook with.”
“Families became the victims”
Um Mustafa left her home in Garma, east of Fallujah with her husband and her children, Ayhem, Mustafa, Hijiran and Ghfran at the end of January 2014 after insurgent groups moved into Fallujah. Her relative Abu Harib, says that ISIS launched attacks from civilian areas and the army would respond, “Families became the victims,” he says, sitting on the floor by Um Mustafa.
The family travelled north to Samarra in Salahaddin province and then to Kirkuk, living in abandoned buildings along the way while the men searched for work as day laborers, finding little. They came to Erbil and settled in Shaqlawa, which is nestled into misty green hills not far from the Rawanduz gorge.
Um Mustafa and her 26 relatives, including 15 children, share just two bedrooms. They are thankful that the Kurdish owners of the unfinished building are allowing them to stay, but leaks in the roof persist and before the one toilet was moved outside, Um Mustafa says “I would wake up in the morning and want to cry because of the bad smell.”
“We were the happiest people [in Garma] – all we want is safety and peace,” she says about life in the town before the battles began. But they add that they haven’t felt comfortable in Garma since the fall of former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 as arbitrary arrests in the aftermath were common. But then, at least “we had our homes.”
Most of the 15 children living here had their schooling broken by war, only attending classes briefly last year in Samarra. Instead to keep busy they write poetry together and think about returning home.
The winter has been hard. The family didn’t have enough fuel to run the oil heater and Um Mustafa’s chest is bad. She coughs, but they are struggling to afford treatment or transport to the hospital. In the summer keeping food cool will be difficult. At the moment the family store dry food in empty plastic bottles to keep rats away.
Aid organizations such as World Vision provide food vouchers for families like Um Mustafa’s, totaling about $26 per family every month, and the International Organization for Migration have given blankets. But much of the support they receive comes from neighbors, mirroring stories of displaced people across Iraq who rely on the support of the local communities who shelter them.
“If I go to the south they will kill me”
Across Shaqlawa we are welcomed into Tin City, a muddy warren of cinder block homes, high up on the rain drenched hill overlooking the town. Outside our feet sink into rich, clay-like mud.
Abu Ahmed, 45, a large man with an air of authority shares his two-roomed home with 14 members of his family . Close to 35 families from Fallujah live in houses covered with pieces of tin and tarpaulin which is how the settlement got its nickname. “During snow storms and rain showers water comes through the roof so we had to put up plastic sheets,” he says, sitting in his living room as the storm clouds gather outside.
Abu Ahmed and his family left Fallujah in February 2014 due to the fear of living under constant shelling. They went north to Samarra in Salahaddin province, but after the fall of Tikrit, he says security deteriorated so they left there too.
The family survives off monthly food coupons and the odd day of construction work, but even that has dried up recently as the Kurdistan region suffers from its own financial crisis. Meeting their monthly rent payment of between $170 and $250 is not easy. “Yesterday is too soon to go back,” says Abu Ahmed, although he doesn’t know if their home is still standing. “Two months ago we heard that ISIS went in to our home and took everything. We don’t know what the conditions the house is in now,” he says.
Anbaris in Shaqlawa live in safety but not at ease, as phone calls and messages flood in from those still living under ISIS. “In Fallujah there was work and my children were students – they didn’t have to go out and work,” says Abu Ahmed, who is thankful to his Kurdish neighbors. “The people of Kurdistan have done their best [to help us], we thank the Kurds a million times.”
He looks over at a small TV screen lighting up the corner of the room with news of battles in central and western Iraq, and then turns and says sadly, “The western world is not barbaric, they believe in the value of human life but we believe they are not doing enough for this crisis.” Many families like his sell their monthly food vouchers at a loss, just to be able to pay the rent on their partly built homes.
Anbaris say they feel abandoned by their provincial leaders and the central government in Baghdad. “If I go to the south they will kill me,” says one displaced man from Fallujah a little later, standing on the street in Tin City and expressing his fear of reprisal attacks as a Sunni Arab for ISIS brutality if he went to the Shiite south of Iraq.
“I had to come here. No one will help us. Not Baghdad and not the Anbar council. Where is the money? Where are our human rights?” he says, reaching the apex of his speech before turning and heading back inside, adding “The most important thing is that safety and security are restored.”
To learn more about the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and how EPIC is contributing to relief efforts, please visit our website. If you are interested in following EPIC’s reports contact us or subscribe. You can also follow EPIC on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr, and LinkedIn.
Check out our most recent initiatives of Soccer Salam and TentEd today and help us reach the thousands of children and families in need in Iraq.
According to the latest UN estimate, 5.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Iraq. To discuss that challenge, EPIC convened a distinguished panel with Francois Stamm of ICRC, Michel Gabaudan of Refugees International, Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch, and Nancy Youssef of The Daily Beast. Hosted by the Iraqi Cultural Center on January 16, 2015, the panelists offered insights on the deepening crisis, the opaqueness of the current military campaign, and warnings for the future of international aid in Iraq, as the fight against ISIS and inadequate shelter leaves many Iraqi families out in the cold. - See more at: www.epic-usa.org/19-out-in-the-co…sh.AqSMxpq6.dpuf
Soccer Salam Reaches 1000 Families In Need
By Taif Jany, EPIC’s Program Associate
I have some terrific news for your Tuesday.
The first shipment of emergency humanitarian assistance has been successfully distributed to more than 1,000 displaced Iraqi children and their families at multiple camps and locations across Baghdad.
Thanks to supporters across the U.S. and the Soccer Salam team, winter blankets, sleeping bags, and soccer balls are now in the hands of some of Iraq’s most vulnerable children and families.
Beginning within days of Valentine’s Day, the distribution was completed by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society and by our MVP, the Baghdad-based Iraqi Health Aid Organization (IHAO).
The aid reached:
486 families at two of Baghdad’s largest camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the recently constructed Nabi Yunus (Prophet Jonah) compound on the southeastern outskirts of Baghdad and the also newly built Nabi Shayth (Prophet Seth) compound on the northern edge of Baghdad;
253 families taking shelter in Baghdad’s al-Rashid district, including families being cared for by the Shakr Obood Mosque;
100 families who have taken up residence in local area schools, mosques, and unfinished buildings in New Baghdad, a central district of Baghdad;
75 families taking shelter in Baghdad’s Karadah District, including Christian families being cared for by St. Joseph Church, a local Chaldean church;
33 families living in a school warehouse building in Sadr City, a densely populated district in northeast Baghdad; and
130 especially vulnerable families living in an open field behind al-Salam University College on the southside of Baghdad– a community previously untouched by aid.
That’s what the first phase of Soccer Salam accomplished and we’re not stopping there. Learn more about how you can get involved and further our goal of helping 5,000 displaced children and their families.
With winter ending and summer fast approaching, we are consulting with the Iraqi Health Aid Organization to address the next most urgent need: clean storage tanks for water and other summer essentials. And of course, we’ll continue to deliver soccer balls because, like you, we believe that every child deserves a chance to play.
That’s our friend Saad in the photo above. Saad snapped it after helping to distribute winter relief to a community of Kasnazani Sufis living in an open field on the south side of Baghdad. Since fleeing Anbar early last year, the Kasnazani have largely been overlooked by aid agencies. Thanks to supporters like you, today these children know that there are Iraqis like Saad and Americans like you who care about their welfare. Making a positive difference in the lives of young people, that’s what Soccer Salam is all about!
For the next phase of Soccer Salam, join me as we grow our community of support even further to reach 1000s more in need.
The current situation in Iraq is bleak. According to UNOCHA, 7.8 million people need access to essential health services. 4.1 million need access to water sanitation and hygiene, and 4.4 million require food assistance. 45% of these people are children. Many are unaware of the full extent of this crisis, and those that do will read the newspaper or listen to National Public Radio with a grave look on their faces, but then return to the everyday routine of their daily lives. Some may choose to get involved by donating to a charitable organization that has invested time and effort into providing aid to the many vulnerable Iraqis currently displaced by the violence of the Islamic State Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). An incredibly small percentage of people will risk their lives to actually travel to Iraq, roll up their own sleeves, and get involved in the situation themselves. Hala Al Saraff is one of those few people.
Iraqi herself, Hala is an impressive woman with a decorated career in international development. She is both the founder and director of Iraq Health Aid Organization (IHAO), which has been running for the last seven and a half years. IHAO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing projects that benefit Iraqis on the ground—IHAO currently works to deliver aid to those who have been displaced by the violent acts of ISIS. In past years, Hala worked for the World Health Organization (9 years), and was a Fulbright Scholar at the US Embassy in Iraq (2 years). She received her Masters Degree from Columbia University, and received her Masters in Public Health, Health Policy, and Management.
I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Hala at my first meeting as an EPIC intern. As I filed into the café behind Erik, EPIC’s founder and executive director, I took a seat beside him, and exchanged my commuter-friendly Birkenstock sandals for professional flats (one must wear comfortable shoes if ever walking with Erik, extraordinary speed walker). I set my notepad and pen on the table as I prepared myself to meet this humanitarian extraordinaire.
Hala is a delicate woman for someone whose actions and words are so powerful. She speaks with such passion, such dedication, that it is impossible to ignore. I found myself listening intently to her every word, leaning closer to ensure that I heard all she has to say. She speaks with the power of first-hand knowledge—from having travelled to Iraq herself, experiencing the dire situations displaced people are facing, and connecting with people on the ground. In fact, Hala herself has a home in Baghdad, where she lives with her husband when she is not in the U.S. As I listened to her stories—my head rested on my palm, clearly entranced—Hala painted a picture of current IDP camps in the heart of Baghdad: for a population of 800 people, there are only six available bathrooms, and, perhaps more astonishing, only three water coolers. Two to three families live in each tent, and 60% of the camp population is children. These statistics would be horrendous to the ears of anyone, yet the deeply pained look on Hala’s face expresses how much farther than the average person her concern goes.
Hala’s organization (IHAO) is taking active steps to alleviate the suffering. IHAO is collaborating with Soccer Salaam to provide humanitarian aid to camps like these that she describes. Soccer Salaam is dedicated to providing necessary humanitarian aid, including soccer balls, to Iraqi children and families escaping conflict—recognizing that play is a crucial part of childhood that should be accounted for as much as food and water. So far, Phase I of Soccer Salam has delivered 5 tons of soccer balls and emergency winter aid to more than one thousand displaced Iraqi families at multiple camps and locations across Baghdad. Now, Phase II is ready to be launched, in which Soccer Salaam will be purchasing tents, water and air coolers, and providing and installing water filters. In addition, Soccer Salam will be delivering “Peace Baskets” for Ramadan, which contains emergency food aid. IHAO has already begun implementation in Iraq, with Hala leading the way.
Hala is an inspiration to humanitarian workers everywhere–regardless of the cause or the place. She is clearly incredibly dedicated to her cause, and is determined to deliver impactful aid to those in need. I think that many can learn from the role model that Hala sets, although I do not believe it is necessary for all to travel into dangerous war zones to create change. But perhaps she is a reminder to us all that although the work may be tough, and we may have to roll up our sleeves, we can all do a bit more to get involved in working towards a more sustainable future.
If you would like to get involved with Soccer Salam, please join our mailing list, donate, or show your support by shooting a video of your best soccer skills.
Blog post by Tarai Zemba
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