Cordaid has been implementing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services across Iraq for the past five years. One of our areas of intervention is the city of Tal Afar in northern Iraq within the governorate of Nineveh, some 65 kilometres northwest of Mosul.

After a two-day battle, Tel Afar was captured by ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant) in 2014 and the city was not recaptured back until mid-2017.

During the conflict, a lot of people fled from their homes either walking or by car, seeking a safe refuge from the wrath of the terrorist group. The pre-conflict population was estimated at 200,000, however by April 2017, 30,000 people had fled the city, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

“Most of the treatments that are required in Tal Afar are for cases of depression. Depression requires an extended period of treatment and constant follow-up.” - Dr. Othman, Cordaid’s MHPSS Specialist in Tal Afar General Hospital