On Sunday 20th May, Hussein Al-alak took part in the Great Manchester Run, to further the work of the British based AMAR Foundation. For over 25 years, AMAR have been at the forefront of supporting the Iraqi people, through the provision of health-care and education.
Among its projects, AMAR launched it's Bazwaya Health Centre in early 2018 - which now serves a minimum of 15.000 people in Mosul and later on this year, will also open the doors to it's new maternity and paediatric hospital in Basra.
After the 2014 ISIS/ISIL invasion of Mosul and surrounding area's - which witnessed the expulsion and "genocide" of Iraq's native minorities - AMAR were the first British charity to step in.
Among those affected by the actions of Islamic State, Iraq's Yazidi's have endured displacement, kidnap, rape and slavery at the hands of the terror group. Recognising the lasting impact of such actions, in 2015, AMAR launched Escaping Darkness - a programme dedicated to the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Baroness Emma Nicholson - AMAR's chairperson - described how through Escaping Darkness, the charity now provides specialist trauma care to 35.000 members of Iraq's Yazidi community. And the work with the Yazidi's does not end there, as the Baroness explained; AMAR also provides full health care to a further 245.000 Iraqi Yazidi's.
Whilst enjoying the support of leading Yazidi figures, along with support from the wider Iraqi community, both inside and outside of Iraq, AMAR stands out from other British charities who work in the country, due to the diversity of it's "all Iraqi staff and volunteers".
Shiite, Sunni, Yazidi, Christian, Mandaean, Arab and Kurd - these are just some of the backgrounds of those who deliver AMAR services, to a population who has experienced conflict since the outbreak of the Iraq-Iran war in 1980, the Gulf War of the early 1990's and the 2003 invasion and occupation.
From delivering health care to supporting the displaced. By constructing schools for orphans and even football pitches, the AMAR Foundation have truly earned the title of "rebuilding" the lives of the Iraqi people.
From its humble beginnings in London 25 years ago, through to people like Hussein running 10K across Manchester in 2018 - everyone is invited to join in and support the services provided by the AMAR Foundation, by taking on a role and helping to rebuild lives across Iraq.
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