On World Refugee Day 2019, June 20, we put out the call. We asked you, our compassionate donors, to help us build 10 wells in the Ninawa province, Iraq, so that families displaced by violence could return home. Your response was overwhelming and we are delighted to give you this update recently received from the field, with our thanks for reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need around the world.
When families fled northern Iraq from fear of ISIS-related violence, you saw their plight. And when you learned those families couldn’t return home because they didn’t have access to safe water, you gave.
Because you responded to our World Refugee Day campaign, 10 new wells are pumping clean, safe water to farms and family homes in Ninawa province. Because you care, families can return home to farm and live where they have for generations. At a time when there are more people forced to flee by violence and disaster at any time since World War II, you helped return people home.
Water that brings families home
A yellow drilling rig sputters to life over a barren field, its clackity clack reaming dirt and ore from the earth. Down the bit goes, biting against soil and rock with an echoing bang where gunfire had once made such a din.
Now, piping reaches deep into the earth at 10 sites where crops wither and riverbeds sit dry. Pumps and expansion tanks bring life-giving water to the surface. It starts as mud, a thick, gray sludge that cakes on shoes and couldn’t quench thirst. Soon, the pumps ease their strain and clear, cool water comes from below.
Water that sustains life and brings families home.
The road to recovery
Because of your support, we have been able to give families a fresh start. For many in Ninawa, that means not only access to water but also the beginning for these farming communities. Seeds, fertilizers and greenhouses are also part of the welcome home package because caring donors like you answered the call of need.
Iraq’s water crisis is still crippling: the U.N. estimates there are more than 2 million people nationwide who don’t have access to clean drinking water. But not in Ninawa. You made things right, and we thank you.
A recently drilled well in Ninawa province, Iraq spurts water that will help families return home from years of displacement.
More than ever, families in the Middle East need you
You can rebuild lives and restore hope for families traumatized by war and conflict. You can show them they are not alone. Be a part of this moment with a gift to our “Middle East: More than Ever” campaign.