Our Projects

Family Sponsorship Campaign!

Let’s stand up against the spread of the coronavirus and help needy families, considering them as our own brothers and sisters!

Due to the COVID-19 disaster, a state of emergency has been declared worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of people in Kurdistan are also affected by the pandemic and the state of emergency, which is impacting the lives of millions of people.

The risk to the lives of tens of thousands of people in Turkish state prisons is very high. Furthermore, the situation in the occupied areas of Afrin, Serêkaniyê, and Girê Spî is even worse.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the attacks and are unable to take any measures to protect themselves from the virus.

Eastern Kurdistan is not exempt from the spread of the pandemic, just like Sinjar (Schengal) and the refugee camp in Maxmur.

For the reasons mentioned above, the Kurdistan Red Crescent Switzerland (HSK-CH), out of a moral duty, sees the need to help the people. In order for us to stand together during these challenging and difficult days and save the lives of our needy people, we are announcing the Family Campaign for our brothers and sisters in Kurdistan.

The terms of our campaign are as follows

• For each needy family, 110 CHF will be sent monthly for the entire 3 months.
• Individuals who want to help families can obtain the necessary information through the Red Crescent of Kurdistan.
• Kurds living abroad can either directly and individually assist needy families in Kurdistan, or they can contact the Red Crescent of Kurdistan

Our call to all: Let’s help our needy families in these challenging days by fulfilling our duty and strengthening solidarity.

With your donation, you save lives!

In Rojava (Northeast Syria), the daily lives of millions of Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Christians, and Yazidis have been affected by death, destruction, exile, and illness for more than eight years. The risk of the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in the entire region, especially in refugee camps, is alarming. Exactly in places where there is a high concentration of people and the sanitary conditions are precarious, the potential for the spread of epidemics is accelerated.

The instability caused by the recent Turkish invasion exacerbates the humanitarian situation. The delivery of medical equipment is hindered due to the contentious political state of the region. With limited resources, our local partner, the Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva sor a Kurd), has taken preventive measures: disinfection of public spaces and locations, an information campaign for the population, movement and assembly restrictions (curfews, closure of schools and universities, etc.). However, these measures will not be sufficient. The Kurdish Red Crescent urgently needs medical support from the international community. The local medical infrastructure lacks medical equipment, masks, especially N95 masks, gloves, protective clothing, specialized helmets, and shoes, as well as means for early disease detection. They lack qualified personnel, especially healthcare workers, and facilities for isolating affected patients. There is a shortage of laboratory equipment for virus analysis and sterilization devices. Furthermore, there is a shortage of qualified medical stations and clinics in the villages and towns of the region. Ventilators and oxygen generators are also lacking.

Due to this shortage, it is currently very difficult to diagnose COVID-19 cases.

URGENT CALL!

Let’s help the people in Rojava!

Over more than eight years of war in Syria and Rojava (Northern Syria), the daily lives of millions of Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Christian, and Yazidi civilians have been devastated by death, destruction, exile, illness, and famine. Since the beginning of the civil war, the people in Rojava have suffered violence from the Islamic State and jihadist groups. The same violence has also been experienced in other regions of Syria and Iraq. The jihadists were driven out of the region by the Kurds at great human cost. Since then, it has become one of the safest regions in the country and has provided refuge for hundreds of thousands of refugees. The attacks by the Turkish state are shaking the newly found stability and causing a humanitarian crisis in the region.

After the initial attacks by the Turkish state in Rojava on October 9, 2019, hundreds of thousands of people had to flee their homes, with hundreds of them being injured or killed. Winter is approaching, and the humanitarian situation will worsen. The Kurdistan Red Crescent Switzerland (HSK-CH) will utilize all its available resources to limit the catastrophic scale of the humanitarian crisis in the region. As a Kurdish humanitarian organization, we strongly condemn Turkey’s military offensives in Rojava and call on international humanitarian organizations and the international community to stand in solidarity with the people in Rojava.

Heyva Sor a Kurd is recognized as one of the most vital humanitarian organizations in the Kurdish crisis areas, responsible for medical and humanitarian aid on-site for 26 years. It is dedicated to saving lives and alleviating suffering under extremely challenging conditions. We need medical aid supplies and support from medical personnel in Switzerland. To alleviate the suffering of children, women, and men, the Kurdistan Red Crescent Switzerland (HSK-CH) has initiated a humanitarian aid campaign to provide immediate relief and long-term support to the victims. Your donation will enable us to provide essential emergency assistance to the people on the ground.

The people of Rojava need your support. Together, we must strive to prevent an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.

PROMOTION OF FAMILIES IN NEED TO COVER THEIR BASIC NEEDS

Where? Şırnak, Amed (Diyarbakir), Cizîr, Mêrdîn, Hakkâr
Who? In 2019, HSK-CH supported 637 families affected by the war.


Goal for 2020: Support 50 more families

The Turkish Army’s intervention in the years 2015-2016 led to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people; tens of thousands of them lost their homes and everything they owned and received no compensation or social benefits from the Turkish government. This project is aimed at these impoverished families. The goal of this project is to provide humanitarian emergency aid, cover basic health needs, and let these families know through a concrete relationship with a sponsor family that they are not alone

The project brings together families in Switzerland who want to help families affected by the war. The goal is to build fraternal relationships with these needy families and provide them with both psychological and material support. Based on a calculation of minimum costs for food and basic needs, the required minimum contribution is CHF 150-200 per month per family. Families can come together to provide this assistance. The conditions for participating in this project are as follows

• The duration of participation is at least one year and can be extended.
• Support must come directly from the sponsor family (individuals who don’t have time or encounter other obstacles can request our assistance).
• User-friendly reports should be created, and if possible, on-site visits should be conducted.

In 2018, as part of this project, 559 families in Kurdistan were supported by families in Switzerland

EDUCATIONAL AND MEDICAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN

Support for children is provided in two forms

• Workshops for the social development of children:
• In particular, workshops on children’s rights are offered to raise awareness among adolescents about their rights.
• These workshops also address issues of gender equality.
• Other workshops provide musical and artistic activities, such as painting or reading workshops.
• The organization also arranges group outings for children.
• Financial support directly to children for their education and medical needs.
• The situation of the beneficiaries is reevaluated annually by our partners and continues for as long as necessary to reach these young individuals, at least until the end of their secondary school education.

COMPLETED PROJECT: ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FAMILIES

Where? Şırnak and its vicinity
Who? HSK-CH made it possible to build 40 accommodations for families displaced by the war


Goal for 2020: Construction of an additional 10 accommodations

Sirnak is a predominantly Kurdish city located on the border with Syria and Iraq. It was at the epicenter of the conflict zone in 2015-2016. Of the twelve districts in this city with approximately 100,000 residents, Eight districts were subjected to extensive destruction by the Turkish military, leading to the forced evacuation of 90% of the urban population. Furthermore, the Turkish authorities also demolished entire communities in various other cities, including Nisebin, Derik, Kerboran, Sur, Bismil, Piran, Cizir, and Silopi

Even today, tens of thousands of people in this and other destroyed cities live in dire conditions, in unhealthy, overcrowded, or temporary housing, or with relatives or neighbors. The region’s climate is challenging, with harsh winters and hot summers. The Turkish state denies them any social benefits or compensation.

The Turkish state has reassigned the now devastated areas that made up the neighborhoods where these people lived for other purposes and prohibited the return of residents. Therefore, the construction of housing for these families must take place elsewhere. The landscape is being reinvested, and villages are being rebuilt.

The goal of this project is to build housing for these families so they can resume their lives in the rural areas where they were born, where they can sustain themselves through agriculture and animal husbandry.

Each apartment with a living area of 80 square meters has two bedrooms, a toilet, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The construction cost for each accommodation is approximately CHF 4,000. The budget does not include wages as the work for these buildings is voluntary; the villagers come together to construct these houses.

From 2016 to 2018, HSK-CH provided financial support for the building of 40 houses.

Care Facility for Children with Psychological Disorders

Where? Başûr / Northern Iraq: Mexmûr Refugee Camp (Makhmour), Mosul District
Who? 25 Children with Special Needs


New Project

In the context of a refugee camp facing resource scarcity, persistent external threats, and the withdrawal of international humanitarian organizations due to the security situation over the past 20 years, some vulnerable groups are at particularly high risk.

The project involves 25 children with Down syndrome, autism, or special needs. Due to the limited resources in this camp, children with special needs currently receive minimal organized assistance, spending their time with their families or on the streets. Many of these children also suffer from untreated physical ailments such as asthma, vision, hearing or speech impairments, or heart problems.

In October 2018, a center for children with developmental delays was opened. All staff members are volunteers and residents of the camp; they receive appropriate training and professional experience to care for these children. These volunteers take care of the camp’s children as well as other children facing similar issues living in neighboring villages. However, the team cannot meet all the caregiving requirements, as it is severely under-equipped, and the infrastructure is inadequate. The current building used was once a bathhouse, and its organization is insufficient for its present use; outdoor games available for children are limited to cut-out tires.

The project’s goal is to enable doctors, psychologists, and other caregivers to acquire the necessary equipment and infrastructure to properly care for these children in a new reception center. The project thus consists of three components:

The construction of a new reception center with adequate infrastructure. The provision of essential medical and therapeutic equipment. Training and support for caregivers, including doctors and psychologists. This project aims to significantly improve the living conditions and care for children with special needs in the camp.

• Financing the construction of a larger center with an outdoor play area while retaining the existing building for emergencies. The land has been provided by local authorities.
• Financial support for the families of these children, payment for qualified volunteer staff (meals, professional expenses), and financial support for interventions and the purchase of teaching materials.
• Collection of specialized teaching materials. If you or your institution would like to donate teaching materials tailored to the needs of these children, please do not hesitate to contact us via email.

Medizinisches Zentrum für Prothesen und Orthesen

Among the victims of injuries and illnesses caused or exacerbated by the Syrian civil war, many are individuals with disabilities who require prostheses, physiotherapy, and psychological support. Between the onset of the conflict and the year 2019, in the northeastern region of Syria, more than 24,000 people from various ethnic communities, including Arabs, Kurds, Syrians, and Turkmen, have been injured. More than 4,500 people, including 500 children, have lost one or more body parts and have been treated at the center in Qamişlo. 400 of these cases are considered particularly critical, with half of them accompanied by permanent paralysis requiring ongoing support.

The Qamişlo Prosthesis Center was opened in 2014 in response to the significant demand for healthcare facilities to assist war victims. Currently, this center includes a prosthetics workshop but does not have inpatient beds. Many patients must undertake hazardous journeys from distant regions in Syria to have the necessary measurements taken for their prostheses and then return when the prosthesis is ready. It would be much more advantageous for these patients to receive inpatient care on-site.

The project for the new center also includes a rehabilitation clinic and a prosthesis manufacturing center. The rehabilitation clinic will admit injured individuals for a period of six months, which is necessary for wound healing and prosthesis adjustment. Five qualified and experienced nurses already work there. The new prosthesis manufacturing center will be equipped with more advanced technical equipment.

The new Medical Center for Prostheses and Orthoses will complement the existing center. It aims to become a competency and treatment center for prosthetic medicine for all of Syria. It will provide patients with physiotherapeutic and psychosocial support following inpatient treatment.

The construction of the center began in the summer of 2019 and is ongoing as of April 2022. The Kurdistan Red Crescent Switzerland is participating in the financing of the building and prosthetic manufacturing equipment.