No aid, no care: Iraq's camps reel after US aid cut

Shafaq News

10-07-2025

Shafaq News
The abrupt suspension of US foreign aid to Iraq in January 2025 has triggered the near-total collapse of humanitarian and psychological services in displacement camps across the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories, forcing international and local organizations to shutter operations, lay off staff, and abandon thousands of vulnerable residents with untreated trauma and acute mental health conditions.
With no alternative safety net in place, aid workers warn that a "silent humanitarian disaster" is unfolding, leaving traumatized populations — including Yazidi and Syrian refugees — without access to basic support, further compounding the damage of years of war, displacement, and social isolation.
US Aid Withdrawal Impact
According to USAID and corroborating field reports, the Trump administration's realignment of foreign policy priorities in early 2025 led to the withdrawal of funding from Iraq and Syria in favor of other strategic regions. As a result, critical protection, education, and mental health programs in Iraq were abruptly halted.
Organizations like SEED Foundation, the WCHAN organization, and the Barzani Charity Foundation — all of which depended heavily on US and European funding — were unable to continue operations. Their closures left a vacuum in essential services, particularly in camps where the Iraqi government plays a minimal or nonexistent role.
Mental Health Services Collapse
Ronaz Ali, the psychosocial support coordinator at SEED Foundation, explained to Shafaq News that the main donors for mental health and psychosocial support programs were the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and 'once funding was cut, we had to shut down all refugee camp operations.'
Prior to the funding cut, SEED provided psychological care to over 100 people per month. 'Camp life is incredibly stressful,' Ali noted, adding that families live crammed into single tents with no privacy.
SEED retained only a handful of staff in Duhok to manage the most severe cases — primarily among Syrian and Yazidi populations. In total, the foundation laid off nearly 300 workers across Dohuk, Erbil, and Al-Sulaymaniyah — many of whom were displaced persons themselves.
Similarly, WCHAN, a key provider of mental health services in four Syrian refugee camps, was forced to close its operations. 'We provided 105 individual and 120 group counseling sessions every month,' stated Hasan Khalid, senior clinical supervisor at WCHAN, in an interview with Shafaq News, adding that WCHAN's work extended from the MHPSS Program (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support,) launched in 2013.
Now, all high-risk cases are referred to Erbil's psychiatric hospital — but at the patients' own expense. Khalid estimates that just 5% of referred patients can afford the hospital and transport costs. 'WCHAN was the only organization inside these camps capable of handling suicide attempts and severe mental health crises,' he clarified.
Khalid also warned of rising suicide rates and domestic violence in the camps as social pressures mount. 'We're seeing more cases of gender-based violence, anxiety, depression, and trauma,' he added.
Camps Face Legal Barriers
While the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) continues to provide water and limited electricity, federal ministries have largely withdrawn from camp service provision. 'There are no clinics or medicine, no hygiene supplies, and the Ministry of Migration and Displacement has only delivered two food baskets since the beginning of 2025,' said Botan Ahmad, head of displaced persons camps at the Barzani Charity Foundation.
He affirmed that many residents face legal or security barriers to movement. 'They cannot work in the Kurdistan Region due to restrictions, and they fear arrest if they try to return to Mosul. So they are stuck — abandoned in disputed territories with no support.'
Additionally, Hasan Sham, one of the largest camp clusters near Erbil, is now running without any federal presence despite housing large numbers of displaced people from Nineveh. 'The Ministry of Migration is supposed to supply fuel for generators. It hasn't. KRG provides 8 to 9 hours of electricity per day, but that's not enough,' Ahmad detailed.
Trust in Government Erodes
The collapse of the humanitarian aid network has coincided with a sharp decline in public trust toward government institutions. 'Residents have relied on NGO services for years. They don't trust the public hospitals, which lack the capacity to provide psychiatric therapy or medication for free,' said Hasan Khalid.
Following the NGO exit, no government agency — including the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs or KRG's child protection bodies — has resumed those services. 'Only camp administration remains,' Khalid remarked. 'Legal aid, psychosocial support, and child protection have all disappeared.'
For his part, Botan Ahmad expressed concern about a growing health and hygiene crisis. 'With no hygiene kits, we're already seeing scabies outbreaks. People are getting sick. And now, they must travel to cities like Duhok or Erbil not only for treatment, but also just to survive.'