Supporting Syrian Refugees & Others in Iraq

Since 2024, Peace Winds has been working to support formerly displaced Iraqis in Mosul, located in Iraq’s northern Ninewa Governorate. We recently began our second year of the program, which focuses specifically on two neighborhoods where residents face severe economic hardship and lack stable sources of income. The project provides vocational training for 100 participants, 40 of whom are women, equipping them with skills needed to gain a foothold in the construction sector and the emerging green economy. Peace Winds is also carrying out awareness-raising campaigns to address the growing challenges of climate change in the area.

In 2014, Mosul was seized by the Islamic State of Iraq and was a scene of intense fighting until it was retaken by Iraqi government forces and their allies in 2017. The conflict in Mosul displaced more than one million people, and an estimated 80% of the historic Old City was destroyed. Since the city’s liberation, efforts to rebuild and return displaced residents to their homes have been making gradual progress. However, the process is challenging, and scars of destruction are still clearly visible throughout the city. 

In March 2024, Peace Winds joined the “Japan Village” program led by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The program, with funding from the Government of Japan, brings together UN-Habitat, Japanese NGOs, and Japanese companies operating in Iraq, each contributing their expertise to support returnees in Mosul through housing assistance, livelihood support, and awareness-raising activities.

Peace Winds helped 104 returnees and displaced people gain new skills to help them find employment in Mosul over the first year of the program. Many have since been employed by local construction projects, including the Japan Village project. 

We have also carried out climate change awareness campaigns for more than 1,800 residents in two neighborhoods located in desert areas, far from the center of Mosul. These areas receive few government services, and there are many empty lots where piles of garbage are illegally dumped. Residents here are particularly impacted by effects of climate change like drought, so the campaign focuses on education and mitigation strategies like water conservation and tree planting. 

To begin the new year of the project this summer, Peace Winds launched a labor market survey in Mosul. The team interviewed returnee communities as well as local construction companies, government officials, local organizations, and engineers to identify which skilled workers are in short supply within the construction sector and what technical skills people most want to learn. The team is now using the information to design a vocational training curriculum for courses that are planned for the coming year. We are looking forward to supporting better living conditions for returnees and hope for a brighter future.

This project is carried out with funding from UN-Habitat and donations from Peace Winds’ supporters.