Over 79,5 million people worldwide have fled their homes due to violence, war or human rights violation. Stichting Vluchteling (Netherlands Refugee Foundation) is synonymous with direct aid for victims of acute distress.

Their aim is directed to refugees and displaced persons worldwide. Thus, they respond to the worlds worst humanitarian crises, providing emergency aid, shelter, medical care food, clean drinking water and sanitary facilities to the ones most in need.

Since 2015, Stichting Vluchteling entered in an operational merger with the International Rescue Committee, one of the biggest and most experienced humanitarian aid organisations worldwide.

Before 2015, Stichting Vluchteling and the IRC cooperated closely in a large number of programmes. By cementing the bond with the IRC, Stichting Vluchteling will have even better access to crisis areas, information and aid programmes in almost 50 countries.

Displaced people in Iraq

There are more than 2 million displaced people and almost 300k Syrian refugees in Iraq. Iraq is in its eight year of humanitarian crisis. More than 4 million displaced persons have returned, but economic conditions are poor and basic services are lacking.

The homes of nearly half a million people have been destroyed to such an extent that, on top of the prospect of unemployment and insecurity, return is undesirable. Humanitarian aid organizations are committed to helping people who want to return or rebuild their lives elsewhere.

I visited some of the camps where displaced Yazidis live and documented the situation in these camps.