Poland in Iraq

The humanitarian project, implemented between October 1 and December 31, 2024, was implemented in the Hassan Sham U3 camp, located near the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. This project was a continuation of an earlier, two-year project of the Polish Medical Mission, which was also financed from the funds of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. During the implementation of the project, employees of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters in Warsaw regularly visited the Hassan Sham camp.

The Hassan Sham camp is characterized by very difficult living conditions for its residents. It was established in October 2016 for people seeking shelter following the war with the so-called "Islamic State". From the beginning, it has largely housed people suspected of close ties to ISIS, including wives, children and extended family of the fighters. These people are being pursued by the Iraqi justice system, "undesirable" in the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan, and their return to their homes would additionally involve the risk of aggression from local militias. Due to the above factors, the camp operates under a closed regime. Its residents are not allowed to leave it to work, and children are often unable to start school because their documents are confiscated by the Kurdish security services. Currently, the camp is home to 843 families (a total of 3,949 people). Importantly, it is the only camp in Iraq that is still accepting new residents. In the Hassan Sham camp, at the initiative of the Polish Medical Mission, a PMM medical center was operating, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its activities were primarily focused on helping women (especially pregnant women) and children. For the past few years, the center has provided gynecological, internal medicine, and pediatric care; there was also a special treatment room and a pharmacy where patients could obtain free medications.

As part of the project implemented by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil together with Terre des Hommes Italy, medical assistance was provided to 541 people in the last three months of 2024: 185 women, 185 men, 71 girls and 100 boys. During this period, patients had not only full access to basic medical care, but also to psychiatric and psychological care, which is particularly important in the aspect of the youngest residents. During the implementation of the project, care was also taken to improve the condition of children's teeth, including fluoridation treatments and preventive sessions were conducted on cancers, which are a serious, growing problem in Iraq / Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

In December, the TDH/PMM medical team and the Polish Consulate General in Erbil, in collaboration with the TDH/UNHCR community centre, celebrated the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. As part of the campaign, health awareness sessions were also held in the camp to raise awareness of key health issues related to gender-based violence. These sessions also focused on educating people about available services and resources, empowering them to take action and seek help when needed.

The situation in the IDP camps in eastern Mosul is particularly difficult and has been steadily deteriorating for several years, mainly due to a decrease in donor support. This is due to the unclear plans of the authorities in Baghdad and Erbil regarding the future of the camp and its residents.