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!!!
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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
One Team, One Dream
Last winter, Soccer Salam successfully reached over 1,000 families in desperate need of winter aid. This summer, we embark on the next phase of our mission to help displaced Iraqi children.
Today, Soccer Salam announces the launch of its Crowdrise fundraiser. We’re asking you and everyone we know to help us reach our goal of $20,000 within 60 days to provide our field-based team with what they need to purchase food, water tanks, medicine, and other essentials – along with soccer balls – for more than 2,000 displaced families in Iraq this summer. We need your help to make this goal.
Any amount you can give would be greatly appreciated. We also invite you to help fundraise along with us. Imagine the impact we can have if each of our supporters joined the fundraiser and got their friends and family to donate to our cause. If you’re interested in joining our team, visit our Crowdrise fundraiser and click ‘FUNDRAISE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.’ In seconds, you’ll have your own fundraiser that you can share with everyone you know.
To donate, just visit us on Crowdrise and click the big orange donate button. Please give what you can. It’ll take less than a minute. All donations via our Crowdrise page are fully tax deductible and will go directly to our team in Iraq.
Please share this fundraiser with everyone you know — your family, best friends, even your neighbor.
Thank you for your support.
Yesterday 100 water tanks, tubes, and treatment tablets were distributed by the Iraq Health Aid Organization (IHAO) to the Bzeibiz IDP camp near the Anbar province of Iraq. This is the first time these families have ever had water containers aside from unsanitary cemented holes in the ground.
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.
Goals and Dreams Foundation on Soccer Salam
by Jonathan Frederickson
Amongst the 3 million displaced people in Iraq are a large population of children who have endured extraordinary violence and hardship. Goals and Dreams is a committed partner of Soccer Salam because its aim is to ease their suffering and promote hope in their lives through sport and play.
Goals and Dreams is an organization that leverages the power of sport to promote peace among children in war torn areas of the world by providing a way out from the cycle of violence that surrounds them. We were founded by a group of U.S. military veterans that came together behind this purpose after witnessing two important points during their time deployed to Iraq:
First, we witnessed the impact war has on children – In Iraq and elsewhere throughout the world they are often the tool or target of extraordinary brutality. Sadly this continues with daily news of children either being enlisted by ISIS to commit acts of barbarity or being the intended victim of violence directly.
Second, we saw the powerful hope sport can provide first hand – In 2007 our founders watched as the Iraqi national football team advanced to the Asia Cup finals. When they defeated Saudi Arabia to win the Cup (a first for Iraq), something changed in the country and the sectarian conflicts that were devastating its people seemed to fade into background noise for a brief moment.
The Goals and Dreams team jumped at the chance to to join Soccer Salam. Iraq was our initial inspiration and where we developed our first operations. Further, many of us still have a very personal connection and feeling of commitment to the place and people. We spent a considerable amount of time there and would like to see Iraq become a place of peace and hope. Iraq’s children are the country’s future, and thus providing a constructive and healthy way out of the violence that has been their context is critical.
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.
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.
Help Us Move the Ball Down the Field
By Taif Jany, EPIC’s Program Associate
Currently, more than 3 million people are displaced from their homes in Iraq, including 2 million who were forced to flee their homes and livelihoods because of violence over the past year. Roughly half of those displaced are children.
Right now, they need our support. They need to know that someone out there cares.
I know because I was once among those children. Targeted violence against my family, including the kidnapping and disappearance of my father, forced us to flee Baghdad in 2006. Fortunately, there were concerned Americans who reached out to help me, to show that they cared, and to invest in my future, helping me become the man I am today.
With Soccer Salam, you now have an opportunity to make a similar difference in the life of a young person who urgently needs your support.
With only $10, you can hand an Iraqi child a soccer ball and an opportunity to play. Just $50 will deliver emergency assistance to a family in need.
Please join me as we move the ball down the field toward our goal of helping 5,000 children and families who have been forced to flee their homes.
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