Mission East has been working with UNHCR to support the resettlement and reintegration of internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees in Dohuk Region in the northern part of Iraq. It is estimated that some 180,000 IDPs are living in this area at the moment. This project includes activities in 10 villages.

The aim of the project is to rebuild and build houses to homeless Iraqi Kurds in the Shekan District. Residing on the early front lines of conflict between Kurdish forces and the central government, many of Shekan’s villages were destroyed during fighting between 1960 and 1964. Subsequent to the collapse of the Kurdish revolution in 1975, villages were destroyed and residents forced to flee to other parts of the country and beyond the borders of Iraq. They have lived for years with host families, in public buildings or in the open air  but because of this Mission East project they now have a chance to return to their villages of origin.

In addition to housing, our team is providing IDPs with potable water and other basic necessities as well as supporting education via housing for teachers.

Project goal
To resettle and reintegrate internally displaced people and refugees in Dohuk Region in the northern part of Iraq.

Project activities
To build 160 new homes
To rehabilitate 30 old homes
To implement four water projects
To build three teachers' houses
To build one access road
To provide livelihood inputs to villages

Major donor United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Project code IRQ-UNHCR-002 & IRQ UNHCR-003.

Mission East's programme in Iraq was concluded in early 2006.