June 3, 2024
News
Chazala and her family had to flee their home in Iraq because of the so-called Islamic State. Now they all live together in a settlement in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Caritas Czech Republic helped the family build a new life.
Life in the Khanke settlement
Like many other Iraqis, Chazala and her family had to flee their hometown of Sinjar because of the invasion of the self-proclaimed Islamic State. After a long and difficult journey to safety, they reached the Khanke settlement in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, now home to more than 14,000 internally displaced people. In Khanke, Chazala lives with her parents and three siblings, while her two older brothers live with their wives and children. Despite their new life in Khanke, Chazala misses her home: “Once it is safe, we want to return to Sinjar”.
Back in 2020, after completing her nursing studies, Chazala began working as a nurse in her hometown of Sinjar, which is three hours away from Khanke. Due to ongoing security concerns, she cannot return full-time, but she dedicates one week each month to travel back and work as a nurse in Sinjar . “When I am working, I stay with my brother, because he lives in the city,” tells us Chazala. For the remaining three weeks, she stays in Khanke. One of her sisters is also a nurse and follows the same work schedule.
A good life before the war
Before they had to flee, Chazala's family enjoyed a simple life in a typical blockhouse in Sinjar. The house was destroyed by ISIS but the family wants to rebuild it, once the situation is safe. “We had a good life in Sinjar, but when the war started we were forced to flee,” says Chazala.
Their journey to safety was long and dramatic. After hiding in the mountains for eight days, the family moved through the corridor to Syria. From there, their journey led them to Duhok in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where they stayed at the house of Chazala's uncle for another nine months. That was only a temporary solution, so they had to travel further. When they finally found safe refuge in Khanke, they built a house on a land owned by the government.
Building a new life
Due to health issues related to kidney stones, Chazala's father cannot work, so the family is doing their best to provide for themselves. “We grow our own food, which luckily is enough for our family, so we do not have to buy much,” tells us Chazala. The family grows many vegetables, such as tomatoes or eggplant, and also has their own ducks and chickens. To secure their garden in the best way possible, they built a tent around it.
After the family was forced to flee from ISIS, they had to build up a new life far away from their home in Sinjar. Caritas Czech Republic supported the family with materials that helped them to improve their living situation, so that they could live in dignity even in rather temporary conditions. In addition, we provided them with latrines to ensure dignified hygiene conditions.
Caritas Czech Republic supports internally displaced people in Iraq
The self-proclaimed Islamic State forced millions of people to flee their homes and find shelter. Seven years after Iraq announced victory over the Islamic State, there are still 1,16 million internally displaced people and refugees in Iraq. Since 2015, Caritas Czech Republic has been working in Iraq, and provided shelter for people who cannot return home. We assisted internally displaced people by providing them with latrines and materials to improve their temporary shelters far away from their homes.
At the same time, we support support Iraqis to rebuild their livelihoods by creating new jobs, supporting young people with internships to enter the job market, providing financial grants to help professionals develop their activities, and offering training to enhance their skills.
