AMAR Annual Report 2016-2017 by AMAR Foundation

W W W. A M A R F O U N D AT I O N . O R G

WELCOME

FROM AMAR’S CHAIRMAN After three years of relentless violence and wanton destruction by the monsters of ISIS/Daesh that has left thousands dead and three million poor souls displaced, there now seems to be light at the end of this particularly dark tunnel. At the time of writing, the allied forces had all but defeated the remaining terrorists, and there was optimism that the Iraqi government and its people could finally begin to look forward and rebuild their proud but beleaguered nation.

hey will need help of course, and they will need it in every aspect of their lives. AMAR has been helping rebuild people’s lives in Iraq for the last 25 years. A quarter of a century of experience means our teams on the ground - all local professionals and volunteers, are all at the very top of their game and ideally prepared for the massive challenges ahead. The Iraqi Government’s priority - quite rightly - will be trying to encourage great numbers of these unfortunate people to return home. AMAR must support this initiative, by helping to ensure their medical and educational needs are met. We will do all we can, but of course we need the funds to carry out our award-winning work. We already have superb support of course from giant corporate and institutional household names - to the wonderful folk who walk up mountains, hold dinner parties, run exhausting races or just pick up the phone and generously donate - but we can always use more, to help more people in distress.

So thank you Zain Iraq - our leading corporate sponsor - for your fantastic, unconditional support. Your donations are vital to our work across the Middle East, from the emergency operations in the North, to the training centres, schools, kindergartens, and religious tolerance programmes in the South. Huge thanks to the Rumaila Operating Organisation, Shell Iraq, The US State Department,

the EU-EIDHR and LDS Charities without whom many of AMAR’s programmes would simply not have been possible. And this year, a very special and heart-felt thank-you to the Emir of Kuwait whose incredible donation has enabled us to begin work on a state-of-theart maternity hospital just north of Basra city centre. This 36-bed facility will be superb and is desperately needed in the region. It is due for completion in 2018 and will revolutionise pre and post-natal care there. Finally, if you are reading this as a current AMAR supporter, thank you. If this article is the first you’ve heard of us, then please consider supporting our work. Please encourage your family, friends, and work colleagues to do the same!

I’d like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all our current sponsors, from the biggest to the very smallest, for their support this year.

Photographs by Angus Beaton, Robert Cole, Constantin Menier, Firas Al-Qasy, Amy Stallings Photography and Katie Welsford @AMAR International Charitable Foundation

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ABOUT AMAR

BUILDING AND IMPROVING LIVES

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AMAR is an award-winning charity that builds and improves the lives and livelihoods of some of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people. Since 1991, we have provided professional health and education services on a sustained and lasting basis.

ONE LESS PERSON

IN PAIN

ith 25 years of expertise, AMAR’s teams are now working across Iraq delivering hundreds of thousands of medical consultations and vital emergency services, and ensuring thousands have access to education. From providing psychosocial support for war-scarred Iraqis and establishing kindergartens for displaced children, to improving the capacity of Iraq’s civil society organisations to document human rights abuses, AMAR’s diverse and unique projects are helping to ensure that all needs are met.

DOHUK

IRAQ

BAGHDAD

BASRA

HUMANITARIAN HEROES

AMAR’S ALL-LOCAL STAFF TEAMS

Our teams of all-local staff are working across Iraq to rebuild lives turned upside down by conflict and instability. I couldn’t sit by and watch as Daesh destroyed millions of Iraqis’ lives. Fortunately, AMAR gave me the opportunity to use my medical skills to help others in my country. Every patient that I am able to treat is one less person in pain. - Saifallah, Essian Camp

rom our teachers and doctors, to our engineers and health volunteers - all are Iraqis who are working around the clock to improve living conditions for families who have lost everything. Every day, we are inspired by their enormous acts of courage to help others. Many of our staff members are displaced themselves - living in sprawling camps, the size of small cities, and unable to return home. They have suffered enormously, but with regular training and support they are being empowered to take action and make change in their country. That’s why this year we’d like to highlight some of our Iraqi Humanitarian Heroes - the real people that make up AMAR in Iraq. Look out for their stories throughout this report... 5

WHAT AMAR MEANS TO ME... Every day, AMAR reaches thousands across Iraq, restoring hope and improving the quality of life in a country still plagued by violence. Nobody has a better understanding of our impact than our patients, our staff, and the people of Iraq…

To me, AMAR means psychological support. We don’t just put a plaster on a problem, we heal people and help them recover. - Batoul, an Escaping Darkness social worker in Erbil

2,824 Psycho-social consultations

I would never be able to describe AMAR in just one word. It’s like a butterfly bringing colour to our world by helping families recover and encouraging them to live happy and healthy lives. - Khadiya, an AMAR sewing instructor in Ninewa Province

I love going to school and I love my teachers. Because of AMAR, I now have a best friend! - Samandra, a student at an AMAR kindergarten in Sharya, Iraq

AMAR built a football pitch near my house, so now I have somewhere to play with all my friends after school. One day I’ll play football for Iraq!

Ever since my home was bombed and my daughter badly injured, AMAR has stood by us. They have helped my daughter recover and walk again, and even assisted her in returning to school. I’m so happy to see her dreaming of her future again. - Hamid, Basra

- Nasim, Basra

Community football pitches opened

13,227 Adults received educational training

AMAR creates opportunities. Thanks to their centre in my village, I’ve been able to improve my literacy and numeracy skills. Since graduating, I’ve been promoted at work and my life is much easier. - Fadhil, Basra

Life under Daesh was terrible. Soldiers constantly used to pull out clumps of my son’s hair. It was just for amusement, they thought it was really funny. Now he is absolutely terrified of men. There was also no healthcare available for us, and as it got colder my son and newborn daughter were getting sicker and sicker. Eventually, we were able to escape. It was a terrifying journey and I was worried about the fate of my children, but immediately AMAR was right there, ready to help them. I am so relieved to see them both recovering, my nightmare is nearly over. - Nadiya

EMERGENCY AID RESPONDING IN TIMES OF CRISIS

With armed conflict and political instability continuing to plague Iraq, millions of families face a constant battle for survival. Forced to flee their homes to escape violence, 10% of the population are now living as refugees in their own country and are without access to even the most basic of resources. Throughout 2016, AMAR’s Emergency Response Teams worked on the frontlines of the conflict, providing vital, life-saving assistance to hundreds of thousands and delivering essential supplies to 7,447 families.

mmediate medical care is always a priority, as families find themselves living in overcrowded conditions in which disease spreads quickly. Throughout the year, AMAR substantially increased healthcare provision for displaced Iraqis. With 5 emergency healthcare centres in both camp and non-camp settings, our experienced medical teams delivered thousands of consultations every day. Elsewhere, we also ensured long-term assistance for Iraqis left disabled by violence and the explosive remnants of war: 279 adults and children were provided with brand new wheelchairs, helping them to regain independence and significantly improve their quality of life. 2016 saw significant gains against ISIS, with the liberation of towns such as Ramadi and Fallujah. Yet, while free from ISIS control, liberated communities faced substantial challenges. In 2016, our Emergency Assessment Teams visited both the Sinjar and Ramadi regions, finding their healthcare and education systems almost entirely destroyed and residents facing a dangerous lack of electricity, clean water and food supplies. In Ramadi, our staff and volunteers worked through the night to distribute emergency supplies to 715 of the city’s most vulnerable residents, whilst in Sinjar our teams delivered stationery and equipment to newly reopened primary and secondary schools.

IN 2016, IRAQ WAS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD FOR CHILDREN

Smiles at Christmas In 2016, we were thrilled to be selected by Britain’s biggest selling daily newspaper as one of their Christmas charity partners. The Sun and its readers were immensely generous, donating an incredible £19,062 towards our emergency work and providing over £200,000 worth of toys for Iraqi children - helping to bring some much needed smiles to children who have lost everything. Thank you! - AMAR Team Member

Learn more about AMAR’s emergency work at www.amarfoundation.org/about 8

AID ON THE FRONTLINE In October, government forces launched an offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS control. As street-to-street fighting quickly consumed large areas of the city, hundreds of thousands of residents began to flee, risking terrifying journeys on foot to save their families. But these were the lucky ones; in Mosul’s densely populated old city, residents quickly found themselves trapped by fighting and facing severe food, water and medicine shortages.

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Days to open a new healthcare centre

It’s a disaster. So many people are fleeing Mosul, we have to do everything we can to help these families. My family was so lucky to escape the city just in time, but these people have had to live in terrible conditions for three whole years. When families arrive in the camp, they are scared and traumatised. I try to reassure them that they are safe and free from Daesh, and demonstrate that I am here for them. I want to help these neighbours of mine – we are, after all, one family in Iraq.

Medical consultations provided per month at AMAR’s Mosul healthcare centre

6,781

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MAR’s Emergency Response teams were immediately on the ground, responding to a situation which the UN warned could be the largest single humanitarian crisis of 2016. As hundreds of thousands of displaced residents sought sanctuary in newly established camps across Iraq, our teams quickly set to work providing much needed assistance. Immediately, more than 700 displaced families received baby supplies to ensure the youngest victims of conflict remain healthy. In Qaymawa Camp, our team constructed, furnished and opened a brand new, state-of-the-art healthcare centre in just ten days. Since opening, the clinic’s team of 10 doctors and nurses have delivered up to 400 medical consultations a day – including laboratory, ultra-sound and gynaecological services. Elsewhere, AMAR mobile health clinics regularly visited vulnerable, displaced families living in both towns and camps, providing urgent healthcare in areas with limited medical assistance. From treating wounds and fractures to administering vaccinations and distributing essential supplies, our mobile health teams provided 1,279 consultations in just three months.

– Khamena, an AMAR instructor in Qaymawa Camp

To support our work in Mosul, visit: appeal.amarfoundation.org/mosulappeal 10

2.5 +

400,000

Years of brutal ISIS rule in Mosul

People displaced from Mosul in seven months

50 %

712 Families received baby supplies

Of those displaced are children

FRONTLINE MEDICAL

CARE Once a civilian hospital with just 50 beds, Shikhan Hospital quickly found itself on the frontlines of the fighting. As thousands fled their homes, Shikhan was the only working hospital that could treat the injured. Overstretched and struggling to cope with the rising numbers of war-wounded, the hospital was at breaking point. AMAR quickly stepped in, providing an urgent delivery of medical equipment including hospital beds and nebulisers, ensuring that the hospital could keep running and that trauma casualties could receive the specialist care that they urgently need. 11

HEALTHCARE

PROVIDING LIFE-SAVING SERVICES Years of war and political instability have taken a terrible toll on Iraq’s healthcare provision. Many regions struggle to cope even with basic services and their hard-working professional staff are dangerously overstretched, leaving millions without access to essential care. AMAR is dedicated to rebuilding and boosting that healthcare capacity across the nation.

264,271

18,516

Medical consultations

Vaccinations

51,307

Community members received health education

Primary healthcare centres

45,752

47,262

Child health consultations

laboratory services

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- Dhalfaa, an AMAR Gynaecologist in Khanke Camp

I’m originally from Mosul, but when Daesh arrived my family fled and now I live in Khanke Camp with my husband and our nine-year-old daughter. Our house in West Mosul has been completely destroyed by the fighting, and there’s nothing left for us there any longer. Here at AMAR’s clinic, I see over 150 women every day – there’s always a huge queue outside my door. Without this clinic, there would be no support and the situation would be much, much worse.

roviding state-of-the-art clinics, health posts and mobile units across Iraq, our doctors and nurses delivered more than 260,000 medical consultations in 2016. But it is not just physical health that must be addressed in emergency contexts. Iraq’s population has been subjected to particularly brutal violence, including indiscriminate bombings, summary executions, kidnap, torture and rape, leaving millions scarred by their experiences. Women have been particularly badly affected. With the numbers reporting psychological disorders rapidly rising, we immediately responded. Our ‘Escaping Darkness’ project established ten new psychological support centres in northern Iraq, trained 10 GPs and 20 social workers in trauma therapy and delivered 2,824 professional consultations. The programme was so successful that it was quickly expanded across Iraq, and in 2017 an additional 29 new psychosocial support units were opened. Committed to positive community well-being, AMAR’s teams initiated health projects across the country to improve quality of life in remote regions. More than 51,000 community members received simple but life-saving health education, equipping them with the knowledge needed to remain healthy. Hospital staff from 13 Basra hospitals also received vital training in infection control, helping to ensure safe environments in existing healthcare facilities. In the village of Al Khora, meanwhile, AMAR’s infrastructure team stepped in to refurbish and re-open the local water treatment plant. Extending the piping of clean water to 1,000 households, we provided over 7,000 local residents with clean drinking water, saving them from dangerous waterborne diseases.

Before AMAR built new water pipelines, my children’s health was always poor. I knew it was because of the dirty water we had to drink, but there was nothing I could do. Now there is clean water for us, my family are so much happier as they have not been sick in a long time. - Sheikh Quassim, Al Khora

Learn more about AMAR’s healthcare programme at www.amarfoundation.org/about

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HVs play an integral part in our health service delivery. Local women are trained by expert medics to conduct regular visits to families within their communities, providing them with medical advice and equipping them with the knowledge needed to stay healthy. From advising parents to vaccinate their children and emphasising the importance of hand-washing, to identifying symptoms of trauma and PTSD, our WHVs are performing crucial work delivering healthcare directly to the heart of Iraqi communities. In 2016, they delivered more than 329,000 visits across Iraq. Alongside health promotion, our WHVs are simultaneously strengthening female community participation. With regular training, women are empowered to engage with residents in their neighbourhoods and to cultivate collaborative relationships to solve health-related problems. In 2016, our team of WHVs received 610 training sessions covering topics ranging from how to assist pregnant women, to spotting symptoms of jaundice. Receiving monthly stipends, WHVs are also supported financially, helping them to care for their own families.

329,000

Women Health Volunteer visits across Iraq

49,677

I met three sisters, aged 20, 15 and 9, who had lost their mother during a bombing campaign and each had suffered terrible injuries. I supported them daily for 6 months, helping them recover and heal, and I felt like I was a mother to them. We were able to help one girl get prosthetic legs and one to get surgery to repair her ruptured intestines. Life is so much better for them now. - Rewaq Fadil, Head of AMAR’s Women Health Volunteers

Families received regular health visits throughout the year

Mosul has always been my home, but when ISIS arrived my brother was killed and my sister was abducted. We had no choice but to flee. Today, our home is an abandoned building site – my husband, children and I live with hundreds of others from Mosul. Working as an AMAR WHV is really important and I’m proud to be helping other families who, like me, have lost everything. The health advice I learn saves lives and stops unnecessary diseases, and sharing this with families is really fulfilling. Because of my work, I’m also gaining lots of knowledge and am managing to support my family during really difficult times. It makes me feel strong and like I can really make a difference!

– Khalida, Erbil

Learn more about AMAR’s Women Health Volunteer programme at www.amarfoundation.org/about/health-care 14

Every year, thousands across Iraq die of easily treatable conditions such as diarrhoea and respiratory illness. But this needn’t be the case. AMAR’s 659 Women Health Volunteers (WHVs) are working up and down the country, delivering simple but life-saving health education to put a stop to these unnecessary deaths.

TA R I A N

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

EDUCATION

SECURING A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR IRAQ

Iraq’s crumbling educational infrastructure has become yet another casualty of the continuing violence. In 2016, more than two million children were out of school, and almost one in five schools were no longer functioning, threatening the future of the country’s next generation. In 2016, AMAR reaffirmed its commitment to helping Iraq’s children to achieve a bright and secure tomorrow.

I love coming to school! My teacher is so nice, and I learn new things every day. Because of her, I want to be a teacher when I grow up. My best friend wants to be a doctor, so we pretend to play at ‘jobs’ after school! - Danya (5), Erbil

3,171

192

Students attended religious tolerance training

Primary and secondary schools supported by AMAR

200

AMAR kindergartens

Children received football coaching

irls in Iraq have been hit particularly badly by the current education crisis. Faced with lengthy and difficult journeys, as well as insufficient facilities and a lack of female-only schools, many families have opted to keep their daughters at home. AMAR sought to tackle this issue, constructing a brand new, state-of-the-art girls’ school in Al Nashwa, Basra for 540 girls aged between 11 and 16. Opening in September, AMAR simultaneously initiated an Education Awareness Campaign within the local community, raising awareness of the importance of girls’ education amongst 6,117 families. As the numbers of children lacking access to education increased throughout the year, AMAR expanded its services for the country’s youngest children. By the end of the year, ten kindergartens were in operation, providing some of Iraq’s most vulnerable youngsters with free education and access to safe spaces to play and develop. Secondary school and university students also benefitted from AMAR’s education projects 3,171 students attended our ground-breaking religious tolerance training courses in southern Iraq, equipping them with skills and knowledge to confront persecution and intolerance within their communities.

2 MILLION + CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SCHOOL

Nurturing Football Talent! Hundreds of young Iraqis now have access to topclass football coaching and all-weather pitches, thanks to AMAR’s latest project to provide children and adolescents with recreational facilities. The pitches were constructed following requests from local communities, and are now allowing youngsters to temporarily escape the instability surrounding them.

Learn more about AMAR’s education programmes at www.amarfoundation.org/about/education/ 17

I CAN SUPPORT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Having fled the war with just the clothes on their backs, millions of displaced Iraqis now have no means of earning a living and families are almost entirely reliant on international assistance. But across Iraq, AMAR’s free vocational and skills training programme aims to change this situation, and is already helping thousands to escape poverty and unemployment.

Of Iraqis believe poverty is the most pressing issue

23 %

Of Iraqis live on less than $2.20 a day

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75 %

My house was beautiful. We built it ourselves. But when ISIS arrived one night, we had to flee and leave everything behind. They burnt down my house and all my neighbours’ houses immediately, we lost everything that night. Now I teach sewing to other women like me - women who have also lost everything. We create beautiful things out of our pain: clothes for our children, jewellery for our friends. It’s amazing to be helping people restart their lives whilst also restarting mine. - Leila, an AMAR sewing instructor in Baharka

Learn more about AMAR’s professional development training at www.amarfoundation.org/about/education 18

The Sky’s the Limit! My family is originally from Sinjar. In 2014, we had to abandon our house to escape Daesh. My dad died on the journey, so now it’s my mum, me and my twelve siblings. As the oldest child, I knew it was up to me to support everyone so I enrolled on AMAR’s sewing course. It taught me the skills I needed to set up my own fashion business, sewing clothes for women and girls. It’s been growing every day and now I even have my own workshop. I absolutely love my job, and can’t wait for my business to expand! - Khadia (17), an AMAR sewing graduate in Shariya

Of women in Iraq are unemployed

26.7 %

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ith 13 centres across the country providing courses in literacy, numeracy, English, computing, mobile and computer maintenance, sewing, hairdressing, and handicrafts, our instructors delivered training to over 13,200 of the country’s most vulnerable adults in 2016. Catering to both displaced Iraqis and members of host communities, our courses are bringing diverse individuals together, helping to promote greater cohesion within neighbourhoods. But possessing skills is often not enough when it comes to finding work: candidates also need to possess confidence and a degree of business acumen. AMAR staff regularly organise employment workshops for trainees, inviting local business owners to provide advice on topics ranging from how to deal with customers to suggestions on interview technique. Many course participants have subsequently succeeding in finding employment - or even in setting up their own businesses - enabling them to better support their families and end their reliance on external aid.

COOKING FOR A CAUSE

SUPPORTERS IN ACTION

Teaming up with British-Iraqi chef Philip Juma, we invited our supporters to learn the art of some of Iraq’s most famous dishes whilst raising vital funds for our Ramadan Appeal. ‘My Baghdad Kitchen’ saw Iraqi fundraising dinners and iftars organised across the U.K. and U.S. – even in London’s Borough Market! – and helped feed hundreds of Iraqi families.

Every year, AMAR’s supporters around the world amaze us by finding new and innovative ways to support our work. In 2016, we raised an amazing £383,152/ $518,123 through events ranging from poetry slams, HAFLA belly-dancing events, races and even student parties, as well as our annual gala dinners and fundraising appeals.

STUDENT SUPPORT For the first time, AMAR was chosen to be a university charity partner after winning a student-wide vote at the London School of Economics. The university’s ‘Raise and Give Society’ donated one third of all money raised during Freshers Week to AMAR, and organised fundraising events throughout the academic year exclusively for our emergency work.

016 was one of our most successful years for public appeals. Our Escaping Darkness, Ramadan, Help Yazidis Home, Mosul and Invest in Iraq appeals received significant public support and helped our teams deliver immediate relief to families in need. Meanwhile, thanks to the launch of our ‘My Baghdad Kitchen’ fundraising concept, our 2016 Ramadan Appeal was one of our most successful yet, raising enough for us to provide food parcels to over 900 displaced families in some of Iraq’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities.

RUNNING FOR AMAR From New York to Erbil, hundreds of supporters laced up their shoes and ran the extra mile for AMAR in 2016. In Draper, Utah, AMAR joined forces with local refugee service organisations to pilot the first of several “Running2RebuildLives4Refugees” races – an event which saw huge support from the local community as runners young and old raced to take part.

It was a privilege and pleasure to fundraise for AMAR. The atmosphere in the British 10k run was amazing, and I couldn’t have wished for a better way to raise funds and awareness of AMAR’s fantastic work! - Reem, London

TOP FUNDRAISERS Fundraising doesn’t have to be a solitary experience – it can be an activity enjoyed with friends! In Henley, a group of AMAR supporters teamed together to host regular social events including bridge nights, tennis tournaments and a hugely successful golf day. Together, they raised an incredible £51,875 for our Escaping Darkness Appeal. Find out more about getting involved: www.amarfoundation.org/support-amar 20

FINANCES

AMAR I.C.F. turnover 2016

£5, 443, 892

% 2 Fundraising

AMAR strives to ensure every penny donated is spent where it is needed most – on our projects that rebuild lives scarred by conflict, political instability and natural disaster. Throughout 2016, AMAR continued to deliver ground-breaking work in the most cost-effective way possible:

% 8 Admin

AMAR I.C.F. spent just 10% on administration and fundraising.

% 90 Projects

AMAR U.S. too has spent just 9% on administration and just 1% raising the next vital dollar* *Five-year average split

42p 53¢

Cost to send 1 child to kindergarten for 1 day

8p 10¢

Cost to deliver 1 vaccination

58p 75¢

Cost to deliver 1 maternal health consultation

AMAR U.S. Turnover 2016

$1,754,357* *Five-year average split

% 1 Fundraising % 9 Admin

90%

Projects

For our full 2016 Annual Financial Audits visit ‘Value For Money’ at www.amarfondation.org for AMAR I.C.F., or www.amarfoundation.us for AMAR U.S. 22

WHAT’S NEW IN 2017

TRAINING FOR IRAQ’S FUTURE FEMALE FOOTBALL COACHES

HEALTHCARE PROVISION IN ESSIAN CAMP

VITAL SUPPORT FOR BASRA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Strong women build strong communities. That’s why AMAR, together with British Football Association coach Sadiq Alwohali, has started training Iraq’s next top female football coaches. Over 25 women have so far taken part in the course, graduating with the skills needed to coach and manage their own teams across the country.

When Iraq’s Ministry of Health asked us for assistance in providing healthcare to residents in Essian Camp - most of whom are Yazidis who were displaced by ISIS in 2014 - we immediately responded. Our newest healthcare centre was officially opened in 2017, and our team of dedicated doctors and nurses are now providing medical and dental consultations, laboratory and pharmacy services, vaccinations, antenatal and neonatal care. In the first month of operations, over 3,800 consultations were delivered.

In southern Iraq, rates of paediatric cancer can be as much as 8 to 10 times higher than in the U.S., and many patients are without essential medicines. In the spring of 2017, AMAR delivered toys and vital medical supplies to the Basra Children’s Hospital – medicine and stateof-the-art equipment which the hospital simply cannot afford – helping to maximise children’s chances of recovery.

Alongside our work providing healthcare, education and emergency aid across Iraq, our teams are always developing new and unique projects to help families rebuild their lives. EMERGENCY HEALTH NEEDS IN MOSUL

MATERNITY CARE FOR WOMEN IN BASRA

The sheer wanton destruction of government buildings, schools and health centres by ISIS in Mosul and the wider Ninevah Plain has left the Iraqi government and leading NGOs facing a desperate race to reconstruct. Our emergency assessment team quickly identified a building in the city which could become a health centre focusing particularly upon disease prevention, first aid and vaccinations. With planning for the new centre underway, medical staff and Women Health Volunteers from the local area are now being recruited.

In southern Iraq, a shortage of adequate maternity care has seen both infant and mother mortality rates increase rapidly in recent years. In 2017, AMAR began the construction of a new, state-of-the-art maternity and pediatric hospital in Basra. Designed to serve up to 100,000 people living in the surrounding area, the hospital is due to open its doors in early 2018.

CHESS PLAYERS MAKE A MOVE TO HELP IRAQIS

A NEW SCHOOL FOR BASRA’S ORPHANS

At AMAR’s invitation, two of the world’s leading chess players travelled to Iraq in May 2017 to help displaced Iraqis overcome trauma. The two Grandmasters - Azerbaijan’s Farid Abbasov and Azar Mirzayev - visited several displacement camps to promote the use of chess as a means to help victims of conflict recover from their ordeals. AMAR now has plans to expand chess as recreational therapy across the country.

Work was almost complete by summer 2017 on AMAR’s latest exciting education project. We were expecting our state-of-the-art Secondary School in Basra to begin teaching its 500+ students by October this year. Ten percent of that number will be orphans who will receive a fantastic education completely free of charge. It’s hoped that the number of children without parents will be increased over the next few years as the school becomes more successful.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL THANKS TO YOU Our work providing vital healthcare, emergency aid and education assistance is only possible thanks to the generous support of our partners, sponsors and supporters across the world. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the following for their support in 2016.

2016 CORPORATES/TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS

ZAIN I BP/ROO I SHELL

LDS CHARITIES I VITOL FOUNDATION BARBARA BARRINGTON JONES FOUNDATION

PENNY APPEAL I OLIVE GROUP I WEIR GROUP

DUBAI SUPPORTERS COMMITTEE NADA AL-HUSSONA | NADA HASSAN COLETTE MCCANN | ZAHRA NASRALLA

CONSOLIDATED CONTRACTORS I ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION

ST JAMES PLACE FOUNDATION I GARDAWORLD BASRA GAS COMPANY I HWH SSH I CLYDE & CO I DWF

SKA I CENTRAL PARK I CONTROL RISKS INSTITUTIONS U.S. DEPARTMENT FOR STATE BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR EUROPEAID | UNICEF | UNFPA 26

CONTACT AMAR I.C.F. Charity number 1047432

HEAD OFFICE - LONDON T +44 (0) 207 799 2217 E london@amarfoundation.org W www.amarfoundation.org facebook.com/amar.ldn @AMARLondon U.A.E. T +971 (0) 56 663 0260 E jessica.scoot@amarfoundation.org W www.amarfoundation.org LEBANON E lebanon@amarfoundation.org W www.amarfoundation.org

CONTACT AMAR U.S. AMAR U.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit registered in the District of Columbia. EIN 27-1871182

HEAD OFFICE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WASHINGTON D.C. T +1 (202) 638 0330 E washingtondc@amarfoundation.org W www.amarfoundation.us www.facebook.com/amarus @AMAR_ICF_USA UTAH T +1 (385) 204 2006 E emily.stevens@amarfoundation.org W www.amarfoundation.us

AMAR I.C.F. and AMAR U.S. are separate legal entities

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