On the morning of June 10th, 2014, a new world of violence began with reports that Mosul had been taken by the extremist group Islamic State (IS). About 200,000 Assyrians were forced to flee for their lives with only the clothes on their backs. Many are still displaced and the need for necessities will persist for as long as the refugees cannot safely return to their own homes.
Since 2014, Assyrians Without Borders has provided crucial assistance, including but not limited to food, hygiene items, mattresses, pillows, blankets, gas cylinders, and so on. With every donation made, we have managed to provide aid to tens of thousands of Assyrian families who have fled to the Nineveh Plain in Iraq, an area where many Assyrians sought refuge. Assyrians Without Borders collaborates with Assyrian Aid Society in Iraq (AAS-I), who is a critical partner in helping implement the humanitarian aid efforts.
In 2015, Assyrians Without Borders started a long-term project for the refugees geared toward helping them live a healthier life. An ambulatory medical team has supplied over 8,500 refugees in Nohadra (Dohuk) with medical care and medicine. The team consisted of a doctor, nurse and driver, and was partially sourced from the refugees themselves. This project consisted of visits to the villages 2-3 times a week.
From 2018 to 2019, Assyrians Without Borders implemented a project called “Empowering Assyrian Youth as Change Makers”, together with our partner AAS-I. The project is human rights-based and the goal is to help young Assyrians take ownership of their Assyrian heritage as the indigenous people of Iraq. For Assyrians Without Borders and AAS-I, this means that Assyrian youth can continue to live in and thrive in their country of origin rather than fleeing due to political oppression. This project was funded by Swedish development aid organization Forum Syd.
