Protection Focused Work

When people are caught in situations of violence, deprivation, and abuse of human rights, they become vulnerable and are in need of protection which prevents, reduces, and responds to the setting’s risks and consequences. All of Iraq has suffered as a result of over two decades of violence, and all civilians are in need of protection from these consequences.

However, marginalized communities are even more at risk in such a challenging context. They are often squeezed between competing factions, forced to make difficult and often impossible choices. Iraq’s Christian community, most of whom also belong to indigenous people groups, have faced heartbreaking challenges  which ultimately cumulated in a genocide (read more here). In order to cope and survive such a difficult environment, Iraq’s Christians are increasingly exiled and hidden underground. They are seeking protection.

This is why SWIC is at work in Iraq. SWIC’s project model is built upon the same fundamental protection principles used by humanitarians in such complex settings. And its only possible through your prayers and support. 

What is Genocide?

The ISIS Genocide (2014 – 2017)

Under Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

“genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

Killing members of the group;

Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

Pictured: A view of the Nineveh Plains, home to Iraq’s Christians, from a monastery. 

 

10 June 2014 – ISIS captures Mosul, capital of the Nineveh Governorate.  

29 June 2014 – ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani declared the formation of an Islamic Caliphate via an audio statement posted online. 

19 July 2014 – deadline given by ISIS that all members of Mosul’s religious minorities should convert, pay a tax, leave the city of Mosul, or face execution.  

6-7 August 2014 – ISIS captures Qaraqosh, the largest Christian town in Iraq, located a short drive away from Mosul. Iraqi Christians flee to save their lives.

December 2017 – ISIS declared defeated after losing all territory it had previously captured.

Pictured: Church icons and other Christian decorations destroyed by ISIS, including the Virgin Mary beheaded. 

The Long-Term Impact of ISIS

“The news of ISIS invasion was so hard and unbelievable. I was with my family at my father’s funeral (when ISIS came), we fled to Erbil. On the road, we had an accident causing the injury of both my husband and brother. We suffered from bad conditions (while displaced), and my mother suffered from depression, crying every day and remembering the good old days. I think this was the cause of her death after one year and a half.”

– Sarah, mother of three. ISIS left her the breadwinner in her household which includes two individuals with disabilities. 

 

 

“My mom and I returned to Qaraqosh, but this time alone without my father (who passed while displaced). We started over a life in a house half burnt and robbed. Even our blacksmith shop was robbed, so I worked for daily wages and endured exhaustion. My mother used to tell me, ‘Jesus loves you, my child. Don’t worry.” 

–  Siban, missed the opportunities of youth so that he can be the main provider for his elderly mother. 

 

“My family and I, along with people from Qaraqosh whom I didn’t know, were defeated. They took me from the main street while I was walking with my family. I didn’t know where to go; it was a terrible situation. We later lived in a building without doors, electricity, or anything except the walls. Things were not good; we couldn’t believe what was happening. We stayed in the building for a week without light or a refrigerator until the church provided us with all the necessities. It was a tough period, especially because I had a baby who needed a quiet place to sleep, which wasn’t available. I blamed myself every day. In 2017, I returned to Qaraqosh without my family so that they wouldn’t see the destruction. What I witnessed was a painful and sad sight. My house was burned, and my storage room, which ISIS used for their work, was destroyed along with my tools.” 

– Ameer, father of three and main breadwinner in a family of five.

Protecting the Most Vulnerable

 

Social, political, and economic marginalization of Iraq’s Christian community is widely recognized as having created an environment which left them without protection during the genocide of ISIS. These factors continue today. Our efforts to support Iraq’s Christians are primarily targeted towards addressing these vulnerabilities by providing projects which serve the most marginalized.

SWIC works with local partners to identify Christian families who are at a heightened risk of future protection needs. When interviewing families, we use a vulnerability index to ensure that our funds are supporting those families who need help the most. We then work with our local partners and these families to brainstorm solutions which help reduce their vulnerability to future shocks. These solutions are turned into projects which build the families’ resilience and help them recover from the impact of ISIS.

Evaluating Project Impact 

SWIC is committed to ensuring that the projects we support address long-term protection needs, and therefore we are actively involved in evaluating the impact of the project to ensure that it address vulnerability risk factors. SWIC counts a project successful if it builds resilience into the family, allowing them to withstand social, economic, security, and other types of shocks which might occur in the future.

For example, a 2024 IOM report notes that only 36% of those families who returned home in Nineveh following displacement have enough income to purchase food. The report further notes that only 4% families have any type of savings. When a SWIC project helps a family put food on the table each day, and further allows the family to have a savings so that they can send their kids to school or afford unpredictable medical bills, then we count that project a success.

Hover over the photos below to learn about some of our most successful projects.

Wafa'a's Bakery

Before ISIS, Wafa’a was a housewife and did not work. However, her husband died during displacement, leaving her to care for her two small children. She urgently needed help establishing a livelihood so that she can provide for their physical needs and continue sending them to school.

 

SWIC helped Wafa’a establish a bakery in 2022 at a cost of $2,300.  We visit Wafa’a whenever SWIC travels to Iraq, and are always impressed as her bakery has greatly expanded. Her bread is in high demand, and she even hired others to help her keep up with the orders!

Michael's Farm

Michael is the sole breadwinner in a family of five. He is the father of three girls, the youngest of whom has a disability. Before ISIS, he was a successful chicken farmer and was even thinking of expanding. Displacement took all of his savings, forcing him to work any type of job so that he can care for his family, including providing for his daughter’s special needs. When he returned home, he found that the house was burned and his chicken farm completely destroyed.

 

SWIC helped Michael by providing his first round of chickens in 2019 (cost: $9,000). It was a success, allowing Michael to invest in restoring the damaged parts of both his farm and home. Today, the farm continues. Michael’s daughter is healthy as he is able to provide for her medical needs. Further, he is able to hire other members of the community, thus providing an income to more families than just his own.

Water Wells

An all girl’s school approached SWIC, asking for help to dig a water well. ISIS had completely destroyed the school, and while much of the infrastructure had been restored, there was no running water. This meant that the girls were attending school without access to hygiene, sanitation, and the other benefits of having accessible clean water. For example, the restroom was not functional. This increased the vulnerability of these schoolgirls to disease.

 

SWIC helped dig a water well next to the school (cost: $2,500), and then connected the running water to the building. The girls no longer had to sacrifice good hygiene in order to achieve an education.

Livelihoods for Burn Victims

An event hall went up in flames during a wedding, killing over a 100 and severely injuring dozens. SWIC is working closely with burn victims, who do not wish to be pictured. Given that there is no hospital in Qaraqosh, many sought medical care far from home. Now they are returning, but several of the burn victims are left disabled and are unable to continue working in their old jobs.

 

SWIC has identified impacted families and is working closely with them to find alternative ways in which they can earn an income. Furthermore, SWIC has helped create new physical therapy opportunities for these families in Qaraqosh, ensuring that they do not have to travel long distances to receive the care that they need. (Average need: $5,000)