As a response to COVID-19, Paani distributed hygiene kits to Syrian refugees living in the suburbs of the Baharka sub-district in Erbil Governorate, Iraq. A total of 50 vulnerable families, 203 individuals including women, men, and children, received essential hygiene kits to help them live in a safe and dignified environment during the pandemic.
Why This Mattered
After the Syrian civil war displaced thousands of families in 2012, many fled to neighboring Iraq and settled in formal camps and informal urban settings across the Kurdistan Region. As refugees, these families faced significant barriers to stable income, with most depending on daily and weekly wages from construction and restaurant work. When COVID-19 struck and governments enacted preventive restrictions, these families lost their primary sources of income at the exact moment they needed resources to protect their health.
What Was Provided
Each hygiene kit included supplies for proper sanitation and COVID-19 prevention, distributed alongside educational pamphlets on hygiene best practices. The project ran from July 1 to July 18, 2020, with a total project budget of $4,884.50, carried out in partnership with IceVax.