Save the Children has worked in Iraq since 1991. Today, our teams deliver child protection, education, mental health, and emergency support to some of the country’s most vulnerable children and families.
Page updated in March 2026
A country still rebuilding
Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, fell under ISIS control in June 2014 and was retaken by Iraqi forces in July 2017 - but for millions of families, the end of fighting did not mean the end of hardship. For children who lived through that period - and for families who fled and have since returned - the trauma does not disappear. Regional escalations continue to affect children in Iraq today, retriggering memories of past conflict, disrupting schooling, and cutting access to water and electricity.
Despite the end of the conflict in 2017, children still face immense challenges and violations of their rights. 1.2 million people remain displaced across the country.
Our teams are on the ground and ready to scale up. We have supplies prepositioned across the country to provide psychosocial support, child-friendly spaces, teaching and learning materials, emergency water supplies, and hygiene kits - because we know that when the situation deteriorates, children cannot wait.
EDUCATION FOR ALL
There are close to 3.2 million school-aged children out of school in Iraq. Almost half of all displaced children - approximately 355,000 - are not in school. A UNICEF “back to learning” campaign in 2024 identified more than 200,000 children of school age who were not attending school. For children who have experienced displacement, detention, or family separation, the barriers go beyond logistics - years out of education affect confidence, development, and future opportunity.
Omar's* siblings express what they cannot always say in words. Omar*’s youngest brother colours beside a small heater in their cold home — moments that reflect the slow process of healing through psychosocial support.
Omar* is 15 years old. He has never been to school. After years of displacement, detention across multiple facilities, and forced separation from his mother, Omar and his siblings returned to Iraq - but the challenges didn’t stop there. Without documentation or stable housing, school enrolment remained out of reach.
“I want to go to school more than anything. I want to learn like other children. I don’t want to stay home forever.” - Omar, 15, Iraq
The toll on children’s mental health
Living through conflict, displacement, and detention takes a serious toll on children’s mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. For children like Omar, the impact is compounded by stigma and isolation. For parents like his mother, Rahaf*, the stress of rebuilding a life - often alone, without income or support networks - can push families to breaking point.
“Every night we heard people screaming in the other cells. Their voices are still stuck in my head.” - Omar, 15, Iraq
Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is not a luxury in contexts like this - it is essential infrastructure for recovery.
What Save the Children is doing
Through our Case Management and Home-Based MHPSS Programme in Iraq, we are reaching families like Omar’s with practical and emotional support. Our teams provide home-based psychosocial sessions, parenting awareness, and coping techniques - helping parents manage the pressures of displacement and rebuild safe, stable relationships with their children.
“They helped me understand my children instead of hurting them.” - Rahaf*, mother of Omar
We also provide children’s books, drawing materials, toys, and safer cooking equipment - the small but vital things that restore a sense of normality. Rahaf received a sewing machine to help her begin generating income at home. Our teams are now working to support Omar and his siblings’ enrolment in school.
We also invest in local leadership. In 2022, we established a fund enabling five Iraqi NGOs to take the lead on education in emergencies work - giving them the flexibility to design their own initiatives and providing training in finance and child safeguarding. The fund helped improve education for over 5,000 children, around 60% of whom were girls.
Across Iraq, we help displaced children and families access safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and cash transfers so they can begin to rebuild their lives. We work closely with local partners to deliver resilience workshops, promote positive coping skills, and help children understand their rights.
How you can help
Families like Omar’s are proof that recovery is possible - with the right support at the right time. Your donation helps Save the Children reach more children in Iraq with the education, protection, and mental health support they need to move beyond survival toward a future they deserve.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
