Category Archives: Issues in Focus

The Ongoing Crisis in Basra: Interview with Benedict Robin-D’Cruz – Part 2

Analysis, Interviews, Research & Advocacy, Security and Governance
Protests and political violence continues to plague Basra, Iraq’s southernmost province. The province is largely populated by Iraq’s Shia majority, which has dominated Iraq’s post-2003 political order. Basra’s oil fields are the primary source of Iraq’s oil exports and proven oil reserves and Basra is home to Iraq’s only port.… Read more

Violence in Southern Iraq & Shia Politics: Interview with Benedict Robin-D’Cruz – Part 1

Analysis, Interviews, Research & Advocacy, Security and Governance, Updates
Away from the limelight, violence continues to rage in southern Iraq in the form of tribal clashes, pro-government militia infighting and criminal violence. This violence often affects unarmed bystanders and makes life in Basra, which is already challenging due to government neglect, lack of services and rife unemployment, even more precarious. Although most residents of southern Iraq are Shia, Iraq's current political elite, which claims to represent the Shia community, has failed to address the needs of the south.

Interview with Yazidi Activist Hazim Avdal on Post-Genocide Peace and Justice

Analysis, Civil Society, Interviews, Relief and Development, Research & Advocacy, Updates
  In 2014, the Iraqi Yazidi community, a small ethno-religious minority residing mostly in the area of Sinjar, a mountainous region in Ninewa, northwestern Iraq, was subjected to a campaign of massacres, mass kidnappings and enslavement of women, boys and girls at the hands of ISIS. Between 2,000-5,000 Yazidis lost… Read more

Overwhelming Need

Humanitarian Crisis, Soccer Salam
“We need to maintain the flow of water and food. Basics only, inexpensive but continuous and lifesaving.” – Hala al-Saraf, Director of our Soccer Salam partner, the Iraq Health Access Organization Iraqi Security Forces and their allies are quickly making gains in their efforts to clear the city of Mosul… Read more