For Iraq, by Iraqi women: A tribute on World Humanitarian Day
This August, as we remember the thousands of staff who have supported our programming in Iraq over the past 13 years, we are spotlighting two colleagues—Safaa and Marwa—who epitomize in many ways the conviction and commitment of our team across the country, and the world.
Both Safaa and Marwa are part of our Protection from Violence programme, which supports internally displaced Iraqis who may face risks because of who they are, or where they are. As Iraqis, both women lived in cities controlled by the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” between 2013 and 2017.
“That was a dark time,” Safaa, NRC’s Protection Coordinator in Mosul reflects. “We brought together friends who wanted to help, but we were stopped from doing so. You could see the desperation everywhere, and you could see the suffering of people in a city I called my home.”
Marwa was inspired to become a humanitarian by aid workers “who took on tremendous risks to help people in times of crisis.” In 2018, Marwa joined a humanitarian agency helping internally displaced people in Daquq camp in Kirkuk governorate. In 2018, one-third of Iraq’s population were living in areas of conflict, and a staggering 6.7 million people needed humanitarian assistance.
We asked both Safaa and Marwa what drives them. For Safaa, the issue of children without civil documents is troubling: “How can we make sure they can easily get education, healthcare, and essential services? How can we try to support a future for them?”
Marwa is driven by the people and communities she works with each day. “There is always a level of risk and apprehension, but all that disappears when you talk to people,” she says. “You get past the fears and meet people where they are, with a simple commitment to help.” As a mother of three, she shares details of each workday with her eldest daughter: “I want her to understand how helping someone, in whatever small way, can make a significant difference in their lives.”
World Humanitarian Day holds a special meaning for both—a reminder of why they started and why they need to continue. Today, the signs of recovery are evident in Iraq, but approximately 1.2 million people still remain displaced. As Marwa puts it, “our job is to aid and amplify, not harm”.
Safaa and Marwa are one of 372 Iraqis who work for NRC across eight governorates to support vulnerable people in need. They are the face of NRC in remote villages and towns recovering from conflict, and the ones who lead our commitment to help people recover and rebuild.
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