HAI and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs sign MoU

In early May 2022, Heartland Alliance International (HAI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together to support efforts to protect and reintegrate members of Iraq’s religious minorities targeted during the conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These minorities include the Christian, Yezidi and Shabak communities.

This agreement reflects our efforts to strengthen and ensure human rights practices in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as well as deepen our partnerships with local government. The MoU enhances HAI’s ability to provide mental health, psychosocial services, livelihoods support, and access to healthcare for displaced and returning members of Iraq’s religious minority communities.

HAI has been actively advocating for and supporting individuals and families who have been displaced or persecuted based on their identities for more than a decade. HAI is active throughout Iraq, advancing human rights through its work in violence against woman and children prevention, juvenile justice reform, refugee protection, and services for victims of human trafficking.