Children of Qawala camp, Northern Iraq

Save the Children was one of the last international organisations to pull out of Iraq in 2007, because of the deteriorating security situation. But we still support 31 local organisations across the country that make up the Child Rights Network.

Here, residents of Qawala camp near Suleimanya in Northern Iraq share their stories and offer an insight into everyday life for those who have had to leave their homes.

3,000 people live in Qawala, literally on top of a rubbish tip, having fled from the war and sectarian violence. According to the UN there are an estimated two million displaced Iraqis inside the country. 

Photographs by Jenny Mathews, interviews by Shaista Aziz.

A boy collects water in Qawala camp, three kilometres from the centre of Suleimanya, Northern Iraq.